Cordial: New Leash on Life
by Iceearth12
Summary: Rose is back again with her family. They take it easy because of their ages. But when Rose finds a new puppy to care for, will they get themselves into trouble again?
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

I lift up my muzzle from my forepaws because of a noise that was disrupting my sleep. My only explanation was it was Fagin's feet. He's been working for the Fox worth's, now thriving with good money. I yawn and shake my head to get myself awake. Since I've aged to 8 years of age, I've been getting tired more easily. However, I can still provide for the gang and I. Everyone else here has also aged with the passing time.

The pups have also grown up and now live on the other side of town. Though they have owners of their own, they come by frequently to visit. Last I heard from Pepper, he had gotten herself a job as a cop dog. I'm proud of her for taking care of this city along with the local policemen. After a health scare with my health, I couldn't become a mother again.

"Mornin' darling." Dodger said lovingly. I look over to my aged mate and give him a lick on the cheek. "Morning to you too dear." I reply, giving a tired yawn. "Did you get enough sleep?" he asks me, giving me a nuzzle on my head. "With my age, what is sleep anymore?" I say, feeling my age. "Well, I just hope you did get enough." Dodger said, licking me. I nuzzle him back.

Looking at my mate, I saw clearly that he's aged well with the passing time. His fur coat had gotten somewhat fluffer. Old age had crept up on the two of us. Despite all of that, we were still the same New York City hearted street dogs that we always were at heart. We had always retained a position of great respect for the gang.

"I'm home guys!" Fagin calls, walking down the old staircase. I get up off of my bed and jump down on the old wooden floor great our master. Because of my old bones, I wasn't able to jump around like I used too. We all greeted him as he made his way to his chair. Tito immediately jumped up onto Fagin's lap in a bundle of joy.

I rest my fore body on Fagin's lap and wagged my tail vigorously. "Hey old girl." he said, rubbing my ears, getting me to tilt my head. Feeling him pet me like this made me see that he was happy to have us around. We all loved this man with all of our hearts because he brings us into his home, gives us food, and a roof over our heads. Dodger was devoted to him also.

Ever since Rita's pups have become young adults, we rarely see them because of their own lives in NYC. It's honestly really sad but we both know that they're thriving in this city just like Dodger and my pups. Ryan has also been around frequently to see us. Even though he's much older, he still acts like a young puppy whenever he's around Rita. Everytime I see it, it makes my heart soar.

Later on today, I would go out into the city to get us some food. Dodger, of course, wanted to accompany me. But he didn't want to smother me and I was fine with it. I love Dodger dearly but I did need some time alone.

Fagin then switches on the television that was in front of his chair. I lay down beside him with my fore legs out in front of me and both of my hind legs on my right side. Dodger laid down beside me. Rita too lays down with us.

Rita had gotten fluffier due to her age. The fur around her muzzle and eyes had lit up to show her old age. Despite that, she was still thriving and still as street tough as she's always has been. Fagin had switched to his favorite show, Fraiser. I don't know much about it but I know that he watches it all the time.

Dodger lays his head on my forelegs and sighed happily. Being with my family is everything that I could ask for. We didn't have to deal with anything bad and we took advantage of the lifestyle we were living in. All of us appreciated this very much and we couldn't be happier.


	2. Chapter 2 The New Pup

"Rose, let me come with you." Dodger pleaded. I was up a couple of steps and I look back at my mate. "I'll be alright, Dodge. You don't need to worry about me." I answer, giving him as much assurance as I can. Today was the day I get the gang some food until Fagin returns to us.

"Let the girl go, Dodger man! An old lady like her needs her exercise." Tito barked. Both of us look at the chihuahua and I give him a growl. "You better shut up, you little rat." I growl, hated being called an old lady. I hate being called that term and he knows it.

"Be careful, okay?" Dodger reminded. "I will. Don't worry. I'll bring back something good for us." I reply, giving him a smile. Dodger smiled and nuzzled me on my head. "I love you." he whispered. "I love you too." he replied, giving me a lick. "Bring back something worth eating, okay?" Rita reminded, giving me a smile.

"You know it, Rita. Tito, if you behave, I won't bring you newspaper burritos." I tease. "Ay, you better not!" the older chihuahua growled. We all laugh at this. He still despised the newspaper burrito fiasco. And with that, I make my way upstairs and back into the city.

I had made it into the city. The traffic was thriving along with the abundance of humans walking down the sidewalks. The sun was shining down on everything in its path. I had my fluffy tail lifted up as I trotted down the street. I would go easy on finding food this time and just look through trash bins in the alley ways.

But when I get to an alleyway, there was a distinct rustle in the area. I stop in my tracks and both of my ears strain for the sound of the creatures movements. I could have sworn it might of been a stray cat or maybe even a rat scrounging for food.

I put my nose to the concrete and begin to smell around. The scent was as if something recently died in here. The trail of the scent led me to a small make shift shelter that was towards the back of this alley way.

"Please don't hurt me..." a small voice whimpered, getting me to stop. What I saw in that shelter made my breath catch in my throat. There was a small red husky puppy no less than two months old and... a fully grown one that looked like she was nursing the pup. Her nipples were swollen some.

The pup looked like she was an only child since I didn't see any other pups in sight. She was shaking with great fear. It broke my heart to see that this pup mother was dead. Probably hit by a car or something of that matter.

"Oh my word... how long have you been out here on your own, sweetheart?" I whisper in a gentle voice. I laid down on the pavement with both of my forelegs in front of me. The pup didn't answer me and still shook, clinging close to her deceased mother.

It became quickly apparent however that this pup would need someone to look after her. She's still very young and can't go without a mother. "I want my momma... momma please wake up." the young pup said, licking her deceased mother. I sigh and look on with a disheartening glance. "She's not coming back, sweetheart. She is in a better place now..." I tell her. The pup took a moment to realize this and she somberly walked over to me.

She nuzzled up against me and whimpered sadly. Instinctively, I lick her to give her comfort. Just like how I calmed my own pups when they were her age.

She closed her eyes, not letting herself give into the temptation of crying. This poor, innocent pup was left behind by her own mother like mine did to me. She shook like a fragile leaf against my chest as she tried desperately to get warm.

She was so small… it reminded me of my children when they were young. Maybe I could care for this pup as my own child? Surely Dodger would approve. We would become parents again. I would take her in and raise her to be like one of us. I know I thought differently when it came to my little brother, Kaiden and my own children. But… this pup was different.

"Do you have a name?" I softly ask her. "Wh-Whisper…" she whimpered. Whisper? That's a perfect name for this pup. "Well, little Whisper, how about we get us some food? I did promise my family that I'd find some." I say. Then, the small puppy looked up at me with a look of enthusiasm. She started bounding around while yipping.

"I'll take that as a yes." I chuckle, standing up to my paws. I then pick up Whisper by her neck hide and put her on my back. She crawled up to my head so that she was in between my ears. "Just hang on kiddo." I say happily. She started to laugh as I began to walk from the alleyway. "This is fun!" she laughed. This pups little laugh was contagious yet adorable. I just knew that they guys will adore her.

After a bit, I find a bag of hamburgers that just so happened to be sitting on a table. I grabbed it while the humans weren't looking. "Miss Rose? Why did you take that?" Whisper asked, puzzled of my actions. I set the bag down so I could answer her. "It's for my family. Being a street dog is not easy and that's how we have to find food. If my family accepts you, you'll learn all kinds of things in order to sustain the ways to survive in this city." I explain.

"Like what?" she asked. "Besides skillfully taking food from unsuspecting eyes, learning to car surf also. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it." I say, picking up the bag again and start heading off towards the barge.

Seeing the barge in the evening did always look pretty eerie. It certainly scared Whisper. "This place is scawy…" she whimpered, hiding in my fur. "Don't worry. This is where I live." I assure, looking back at the pup with a soft grin. "What if your family don't like me?" Whisper said nervously. "Trust me, they'll love you." I reply.

Walking down the steps, I hear the sound of the TV on. 'Great. Francis has got his soaps on again.' I think to myself in annoyance. Even at my old age, I still despise those shows. But they get good when Tito makes a crack about it much to Francis' displeasure.

"Aye Frankie! Put the game on! This is so boring!" Tito barked. "No way, pipsqueak. This is my TV time." Francis growled back. "Knock it off you two. I'm too old to hear you guys bicker over the tv." Rita growled. Whisper hid deeper in my fur at hearing them bicker.

I make it downstairs to the inside of the barge. "Hey, cool it you two. I found us dinner." I say, breaking up the fight. My voice got everyone's attention. Dodger trotted over to me and gave me a welcoming nuzzle. "What took you so long?" he asked.

"Well, I had a bit of help." I say, feeling Whisper crawl on my head. The others were baffled that there was a pup on me. Rita approached us and looked at the pup. "Where'd you find this cutie?" she asked me. "I found her in an alleyway." I answer, trying to be subtle about how she wound up in the alley way.

Rita instantly knew what I was saying. I lower my forebody to let Whisper slide off my head. The little pup looked at everyone curiously. That was until she looked at Einstein and she quickly hides underneath me. "Oh don't worry little one. Einy won't hurt you. He's the gentlest out of all of us." Rita assured to the pup.

"He look scawy…" Whisper said in a whimper. "Nah, he wouldn't hurt a fly." I say, looking down at her. Dodger takes a good look at the scared puppy. I knew she wasn't used to being around other dogs because of her age. Her own mother abandoned her not to mention so it's no wonder she's frightened by all of this.

"Can she stay Dodger man? Can she? You have been saying that you and Rosa wanted more kids." Tito said, getting both of us to look at the aged Chihuahua. "Tito!" I shout, feeling slightly embarrassed. Tito knows that I can't reproduce anymore. "Let's talk about this up on the dock, Dodger." I say, lowering my voice to him. He nodded.

"Miss Rose, don't leave me!" Whisper begged. I lower my head to look at the young puppy. "It'll be alright, dear. Just stay with Rita. She'll look after you. Trust me, she's not gonna hurt you." I assure, looking up at Rita, who smiled down at the puppy. "It's alright little one. I'll take care of you." she said motherly. Whisper reluctantly went to Rita all the while looking back at me.

Dodger and me went up onto the dock to have a word with one another. "Rose, are you wanting to raise that puppy at your age?" Dodger asked. All I did was close my eyes and caress my muzzle with his as I answered, "Of course Dodge. That pup has nowhere to go. Her mother didn't come for her. What else could I do?" I whisper. Dodger nuzzled me back and gave me a few licks.

"You did the right thing by rescuing her. That pup needs a family to take care of her. And since you did rescue her, we'll raise her to be like us; the perfect progeny of a street dog. Don't you agree?" Dodger said, giving his usual self-confident smirk that he wore so well. "Yes, I mean, we did raise three wonderful puppies together. And I would love to do it again." I reply, lowering my voice. Hearing what Dodger had said made my heart warm because he was willing to be a dad again. Even if it's not his own blood.

"I love you Dodger…" I say happily, feeling my tail wag. He ends up pinning me down against the old wood of the barge and gives me that same look that made me fall in love with this streetwise dog. "I love you more Rose." he said, giving me a loving lick on my head. "What do you say that we let the gang know about our newest member?" I say, giving my mate a charming smile which he adored. He nodded and got off of me so I could stand.

We both go downstairs into the barge. Whisper was on top of Einstein and was chewing on his floppy ear. Seeing this made my heart swell. When she saw me, she wagged her tail and got off of Einstein to come over to us. "Welcome to the family, little Whisper." I say, affectionately nuzzling her. Those words made her very excited and she started bounding happily with her little tail wagging vigorously. "Yay! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she barked happily. "Alright calm down little one. You're with us now. Trust us, you will love being in this place. You will learn a lot on how to survive the mean streets of New York." Rita said, bending down so she could be within eye contact of Whisper.

"Really? I can't wait! It sounds like fun! When do we start?" she asks, her blue eyes gleaming with excitement. "In a couple of days. For now, why don't we have some of those burgers Rose brought in?" Dodger suggested. We all agreed with that and we all devoured the hamburgers that I got. I looked at the red and white pup. She was Dodger and I's new daughter now. We'd show her the way. She'll grow up to be a great street dog. She has found a great place to live out her years.


	3. Chapter 3 Meeting Beau

It had been at least a couple of days since we adopted Whisper into the gang. Dodger decided it would be a good time to show our new daughter the ropes; starting off with car surfing. The both of us would be teaching her while the others searched for materials for Fagin. The afternoon sun was shining down on anything in its path. It wasn't very hot today which was a good sign. After the car surfing training, we'd show her how to get food from the blind eyes of the humans.

We make it to 7th Avenue which was the best place to find food. "Alright. We will start here." Dodger said, looking to a curious Whisper. "So what are we doing?" she asked, tilting her head. "We're gonna teach you the fine arts of stealing food. The car surfing will have to wait until you're a bit older." I tell her confidently. She was still too little to car surf. "Awesome! How do you do it?" "Watch and learn." Dodger said, going up to an occupied table that two humans were eating from. There was a doggy bag sitting on the metal table.

Dodger bowed a little bit while looking at the bag. I saw the pure concentration in Dodger. Even with his older age, he still has the charisma. Once the human turned around to talk to the waitress, Dodger made his move. He jumped up and swiped it with skill. After that, we made a run for it.

Once we made our break to the next street, Dodger put the food down to take a breather. "The Dodge still got it." Dodger says, strutting proudly. "Wowee! That was awesome, Dodger!" Whisper said happily. I chuckled at her enthusiasm. We then move on home to eat. We'd certainly teach her more later on while the day is still young.

(Whisper)

Seeing Dodger catch that food was a thrill. In her short life, she'd never been so nervous. But it was worth it in the end. She couldn't wait to get a bite of it. She could practically taste it in her jaws. The three dogs make it a few streets before they reached the bay where the barge is located. Rose and Dodger were more focused on getting home with their child in tow.

Then, a distinct sound caught the puppy's attention. The sound of rustling in the alleyway. She stopped walking and looked towards the sound without being noticed by her adopted parents. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she wondered, looking around. The rustling stopped when she spoke. Whisper went stiff at the sudden silence. "Who are you?" another voice spoke. It was another pups voice. And it was male. "Wh-Whisper… My name Whisper…" Whisper said quietly. Then, a pup emerged from behind the dumpster.

He was all white with brown eyes and was a bit bigger than her. Whisper tilted her head at him. There was something about him that she liked but she couldn't figure out what. "Hello… you lost pup like me?" Whisper asked in a sincere tone. "No… My mommy is coming back. She told me to stay and wait." the pup answered, seeming nervous.

"Are you okay? You look scared." Whisper said, tilting her head to the right. "Huh? Oh, it's just the streets are scary… Other dogs are gonna get me…" he said, looking around with his pointed ears laid back, his eyes widened. "What's your name? Mine Whisper." the husky pup asked. "Beau…" the other pup answered. Whisper, seeking the opportunity, got into a play bow position. The other pup looked confused of her actions. "C'mon! Let's play, Beau! Don't be sad!" Whisper said, play bounding at him.

Beau hesitated for a moment. He, at first, didn't know where she was getting at. He didn't understand what playing was. The only way he knew was fighting thanks to his dastardly mother. She was a menace to Rose and the gang. Ednis was her name, a black cane corso. She was silently watching the two pups. Mostly at Whisper with an intention to hurt if not kill her.

The little white pup finally got it and leaped at Whisper with a growl. The two puppies start to play roughly. When he got her pinned down, he looked down at her with glee. "Pinned ya." he said smiling. "No fair! I didn't expect!" Whisper said. "Well, I don't play like other pups." Beau said, getting off of her. "There aren't other pups where you live?" Whisper wondered, standing back up. "I'm the only one." Beau pointed out. Whisper waited a minute to speak. Wow, it must be lonely without another pup to play with.

"Why don't you come visit my place? You won't be alone anymore." Whisper suggested happily. From afar, Ednis gave a deep yet quiet growl at this. There was no way a female was going to take her son from her, much less a pup who wouldn't grow into a strong skilled fighter. Before the pups could play again, a bark was heard from the street.

Whisper looked over to the sound and saw her mother make it to where she was. Rose looked distressed. "Whisper there you are!" Rose called, sounding worried. "Mama?" the pup said, looking at Rose.

(Rose)

"Whisper! Why did you wander off? Something could've happened!" I scold, giving her my infamous mother look. Whisper gazed down in defeat. "I'm sorry mama… I found this pup all alone. His name Beau." Whisper said, her pointed ears lowered a bit. I look from my child to the white pup in front of Whisper. He gazed up at me with a stunned expression. Lowering my head, I sniffed him. He had a familiar scent on him.

"Whisper, this is a rogue pup. Get away from him." I growl, my ears lowering in defense. "But mama-" she started. "No buts!" I bark. Then, I hear a familiar, deep bark. Looking to my right, I see a black cane corso charging at me. "You get away from my son!" she growled. Instinctively, Whisper gets underneath me. The big dog shields her son away from me. It took me a second to see who it was.

"Ednis…" I growl in loathe. This dog was not supposed to be here. Dodger and I gladly banished her from this side of the city. "Rose." she said evilly. Suddenly, her expression changed to shock. I didn't have to look behind me to know that the gang had come to back me up. Dodger came up next to me with his teeth bared. "Dodger." Ednis said. "Ednis." Dodger growled.

"And I'm Ignacio Alonzo Julio Federico de Tito and this is Frankie! You get off of our turf, Chorra!" Tito barked. Ednis barked furiously at the Chihuahua, which did scare him for a minute. "Get out of here, Ednis. And take your pup with you. Otherwise we'll take drastic measures against you." I growl. Ednis wasn't phased by my demand. "You six should all know how little food there is on my side of town. The best is down here." she said, giving a pitiful expression. Dodger and I wasn't buying her bluff.

"You know the penalty of being banished." I say, watching her pace back and forth. "But the child doesn't! He will grow up to be the strongest leader this city has ever known." Ednis said. I growl deeply at her accusation. There's no way that will ever happen.

"You're kiddin' right? That's no leader!" Tito scoffed. "You shut your mouth you, petulant mongrel!" Ednis growled, her eyebrows narrowed.

"You want your pound of flesh, here. He will be a strong leader unlike you mutts." Ednis said, pushing Beau towards the gang. The white pup was scared out of his wits and started whimpering. All Dodger and I did was look down at the frightened pup. Using her child to bribe us? That's a whole new low even for her.

"No. That's not how we do things here. Take your pup and leave. There's nothing more for us here. C'mon you guys. Let's go home." I say, using my teeth to pick Whisper up by her neck hide. "Oh no Rose. There's more for all of us." Ednis said, giving an evil chuckle. Whisper whimpered at this and looked away in fright.

Ednis then goes to pick up Beau by his neck hide. With a second look, we parted ways. Whisper was in a lot of trouble and she knew it. Rita went ahead and carried the bag of food that Dodger snatched.

We make it back to the barge; the evening sun had already arrived. "Rose? Dodger?" Rita said, looking behind her. "Go on ahead Rita. We'll be down in a minute." Dodger replied, sitting down. "Alright. We'll be waiting. I'll make sure that Einstein doesn't eat them all." Rita said in a partial joking manner. "Okay. That's good." I nod, giving my old friend a smile.

Rita then goes downstairs to the bottom of the barge. I set Whisper down on the old wood. Shaking, she looked at us with her ears lowered and her eyes big. Dodger and I did was give her our famous parent glares. "What were you thinking, Whisper?" Dodger said strictly. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" Whisper stuttered, feeling bad about what happened.

"That dog could've killed you today. We may not have made it in time. Those types of street dogs could easily kill you with one bite." Dodger said, not breaking his gaze from our daughter. She looked down in guilt. I look at him for a second before giving her a motherly nuzzle. "Whisper, we're only saying this because we love you. You can't be getting distracted like that. You won't see it coming if you're too distracted. Your aunt Rita taught me that when I messed around with dogs when I was a bit older than you." I tell her softly yet strictly.

"I'm sorry mama and daddy. I won't do it again. I will stick by your sides and never leave!" Whisper declared. "That's our girl. What do you say we grab ourselves something to eat. We'll take a day off after that experience." Dodger said, his voice more calm. I nodded in agreement. Whisper does too. After that, we all went downstairs to eat.

I'm happy that Whisper will not wander off like that again. Seeing that she was missing nearly gave us a heart attack. But I'm glad everything's as it should be.


	4. Chapter 4 Hope for the Liberated Wolves

Back at the Bronx, which was known to be the bad side of New York, lived a group of stray dogs who lived in an abandoned building that no human was using anymore. Inside lived the consistency of 5 dogs. They were the toughest of the Bronx as rumored by other street dogs. First there was Ednis, the leader of the pack. She was a notorious serial killer that killed anyone who got in her way.

Then there were the twins. Raven and her brother Rebel. Both Dogo Argentinos, they were skilled fighters and were not to be trifled with. Rebel however, was a bit smaller than his sister which meant she'd always beat him in a fight.

Then there was Marcus, a black coated Jack Russell. He's not much of a fighter but is still tough even though he's smaller than his pack mates.

Thirdly was Odin, a strong Boreboel Mastiff who is Ednis's right handed dog.

Lastly there was Beau, the newest of the bunch who's been with The Liberated Wolves for merely a month. Ednis had found him being attacked by a human and she saved him. She then adopted him as her own because she couldn't breed with other dogs because of her being spayed.

Right at this moment, Ednis was absent. She had to get her child because he had wandered off. Marcus was supposed to be the one to watch him but he ended up falling asleep. Raven and Rebel were fighting over a stray bone that was in the corner of the room. With the little food there was in the Bronx, this is what they were resorted to.

Marcus watched from afar, silently feeling the trouble he was gonna go through when Ednis returned. Raven had finally got her brother on the ground with her jaws. "Alright! You win! You win!" Rebel said, struggling under his sister's tight grip. "Hmph. That's what I thought, you weakling." she growled, letting her brother go. "Well, I can't help it if you're bigger than me." Rebel growled. "And I'm a better fighter than you. You can't even take on a stupid squirrel!" Raven laughed, teasing her brother. Rebel snarled at his sister. He hated being teased and she knew it.

"Y-Yeah. She's kicked your butt a bunch of times." Marcus stuttered. "You shut up! You know you're in so much trouble with Ednis when she gets back! You were supposed to be watching the runt! But you failed to do a simple job!" Rebel snapped at the smaller dog. Marcus stood up and stomped his way over to Rebel. "Heck, you're no better Rebel! All you and Raven do is pick fights for the last bite of food!" Marcus growled, his teeth bared.

Rebel ended up pinning the smaller dog to the ground with his strong bite, making Marcus yelp. "Fool! If you were smart, you'd stay out of other dogs affairs!" Rebel growled, tossing the Jack Russell aside. "Would you to stop right now?! Ednis had put me in charge while she is gone! I won't put up with this nonsense! So stop right now!" Odin boomed at the bickering canines. They all fell silent immediately. They all knew very well not to piss off Odin.

"Good. Now our alpha has returned with the runt. You better have a good defense on your part Marcus." Odin said, barely looking back at him. 'Oh crap…' Marcus said, starting to shake. Then, Ednis had walked in without a word. Marcus shook immensely at seeing his alpha so angry.

She dropped Beau on the ground then walked away. "Marcus. Come over here. Now." Ednis said in anger. Marcus shakily sauntered over to his enraged leader. "Ednis… my leader… allow me the chance to explain…" Marcus said, cowering down. "Explain what?! You were supposed to watch him! I gave you one simple mission! A mission I thought a delta would be capable of handling! You failed me for the last time Marcus!" Ednis snarled, towering over her delta with all of her teeth bared. It struck fear in the small dog.

Ednis was the one dog that no one but Rose's gang would be able to stand up to. "Mother! Stop this! It wasn't his fault! I wandered off on my own! So don't blame him!" Beau shouted at his mother. Ednis ceased her potential actions of inflicting wounds on the Jack Russell Terrier and looked at her son. She goes to her son, still enraged.

"Then tell me! What were you doing?!" she growled, showing her teeth at the pup. Beau started backing away in fear. "E-Exploring! I swear!" he stammered. "What have I told you about Dodger and Rose?!" she growled. "They're bad dogs. Mongrels. But… Whisper was…" Beau uttered in fright. "Friendly?!" Ednis snapped, making the pup jump. "You thought you'd be best friends with their daughter. Their offspring?! And what are they gonna do? Welcome you back with open arms?! Amazing idea!" she scoffed, starting to circle Beau.

At first, she believed that it was preposterous that her own son would even befriend the offspring of her rival. Her enemy. But… it soon clicked. The best idea her own child could ever come up with. She gave a grin as the idea blossomed. "Ednis? Are you alright?" Odin asked in respect. "Oh Odin. I'm more than okay. I believed my dear Beau had just gave me the perfect idea." she said, giving a laugh. "Huh? What did I do?" Beau asked confused.

"You brilliant pup! You can overthrow those mongrels. You will be the greatest leader in this city. You're training begins tomorrow. But for now, you must rest. Come over here." Ednis said, taking on a calmer tone. Beau did what he was asked without questioning her. He didn't know what was in store for him. Not yet anyway.


	5. Chapter 5 Day in the Park

About a couple of years had passed. Whisper was no longer a puppy as she's fully grown now. She's a bit taller than me in comparison. But she still likes to sleep near me despite her being fully grown. Dodger and I had raised her well to be a great street dog.

We haven't heard anything from Ednis ever since we had that confrontation two years prior. Although it didn't make me feel entirely relaxed because she could strike again at anytime.

The sun was setting under the cool autumn sky. We'd made plans to visit Ryan and Oliver tomorrow at Central Park to see how they were holding up. Ryan had been in an accident a while back due to a train and he ended up losing his right hind leg. Despite that, it hadn't brought him down. We did visit him a week before the accident and let him recover overtime.

Since it was growing dark, we made sure that we wouldn't get near the crazed adolescent humans that hung out in the dark side of the city. I had my fair share with those humans a couple of years old. Those humans had used not only their feet but a bat to beat me up pretty badly. Although I was rescued by the gang, it taught me not to mess with humans like that.

There was no one in sight in Central Park where Dodger and I had wandered to. There were lights on the fences that illuminated the sidewalks with a romantic interlude.

We decided to stay underneath that light by a nearby tree. Luckily for us, no humans come to Central Park during this time so we had it to ourselves and we took advantage of it. I laid on my back with Dodger laying on me with a warm, sweet look on his face with a lopsided grin, getting me to blush. He knew how to make me feel warm inside.

"Will ya stop smirking at me like that?" I say, unsuccessfully hiding a smirk of my own, "Impressive as it was, it's not a good look darling." "That's what they all say, honey." he chuckles, "But they find their way back." He rested his head on my side and smiled at how soft my fluffy coat was. Jenny had been kind enough to give me a bath which was surprisingly nice.

I watched as he closed his eyes and took the feeling in. During my years of being with Dodger, I had seen what a flirt he was with many of the female dogs in this city. But since I came into the picture, it was different. After we rescued Ryan, I knew. Never have I believed that I would fall in love with Dodger. But it happened…

Then, a dark thought crossed my mind. It wouldn't leave me be. This didn't go unnoticed. Dodger looked at me with a worried look. "What is it, my love?" he asks, tilting his head. "I'm just… worried." I say, rolling over to my belly. "About what? What could be distracting you from our moment together?" he says, trying to comfort me. "It's about Ednis, Dodger." I say, sounding more serious.

"What are you worrying about her for? It's been two years, Rose. Nothing has happened." he reassured. "But what if it does, Dodge? What if she's planning something?" I asked, my ears laid back some. He licks my furry cheek tenderly. "I'm sure she isn't. Besides, she's on the other side of town. She hasn't bothered us since then." he asked. "But what if she does? She could even hurt Whisper." I say, still worried.

"Baby, Whisper is fully grown. We've taught her everything we need to protect herself from the other dogs." Dodger reminds me. "Even so, something could happen…" I say, looking down and frowning. Dodger put his paw on mine, getting me to look at him.

"Don't worry okay? Everything will be alright. Let's enjoy our moments together. Besides we're going to see our Railroad Tycoon of NYC and our Vice President tomorrow." Dodger reminded, smiling. I couldn't help but smile back. "Alright. I'll try." I say, tucking my head underneath his chin. He chuckles at this. "That's my girl." he said comfortingly. He knew just how to cheer me up. I truly loved him… There's nothing that could change this moment. The moment I can spend with my mate…

It was the next day. The sun was high in the sky giving New York a warm feel. That is the best part of autumn in my opinion. The seven of us make our way towards Central Park with Whisper taking the lead. It boggles my mind that she's all grown up now. She's old enough to find her place in this city. But she prefers to stay with us. I can't force her to change. It wouldn't be right of me as her mother.

"Mom! Dad! Look, we're here!" Whisper said excitedly, running towards the park. "Stay close to us, dear." I remind before she could go to far from us. "Yeah, yeah I know!" she called, starting to run through the park. She gets excited whenever we go to Central Park since that's her favorite place. As we entered the park, we saw Oliver and Ryan, who saw us instantly.

Rita lit up at seeing her mate again. "Let's go everyone." she said, looking at us with a smile. We all ran to the two. "Dodger! Rose! My Chica Rita!" Ryan said, getting to a play bow position. Rita made a leap at him and the two tumble down the park. The rest of us go over to Oliver.

"Hey, kid. How ya been?" Dodger asked, doing his signature playful high-five but he pulled his paw away at the last moment. "So where is my rosalita?" Tito said, looking for Georgette. "Nope. It's just me and Ryan. Georgette has got a reputation. But I'm sure didn't want to be with us unlike Ryan." Oliver said, much to the disappointment of our little Romeo.

"Sorry loverboy." Francis teased. "Wha?! But I haven't seen her in weeks! Our relationship won't blossom if I'm not allowed to see her!" Tito complained. "Hi, Oliver!" Whisper exclaimed, bounding over to him. This startled the poor cat. "Calm down, Whisper." Dodger reminded. The husky skidded to a stop at Dodger's warning. "Sorry dad. Got too excited there." she said smiling.

"Is this the infamous Whisper that I've been hearing so much about?" Ryan said, limping his way over to us with Rita at his side. Whisper turned to look at the dalmatian. "Yeah that's me." Whisper said bashfully. "My word you got big. You two have raised her well." Ryan said, impressed by Dodger and I raising her like how we raised our other pups.

"How have you been, Ryan? Still hurting after the accident?" I asked, gazing down at his missing leg. He looked down for a moment. "It doesn't hurt as much anymore. Jenny had been taking care of me along with Oliver here. Even having my Chica Rita here with me helps me out a lot." the dalmatian said, nuzzling his mate and she nuzzled him back. "I'm glad to be here with you two, dear." Rita said, wagging her tail.

"So have you got a special someone, Oliver?" Rita asked, looking at the now grown cat. "Nope. Not yet. I'm not much of a hopeless romantic." Oliver answered, "Unlike someone." He gazed over at Tito. Tito looked back in embarrassment.

"So what are we doing today, Dodge?" Oliver asked. "We'll just hang around and play in the park. And then get us some lunch from a picnic." Dodger answered, stretching his aging limbs. "Sounds great to me." I say, agreeing with what he said. "Yay! Food! I'm so hungry!" Einstein exclaimed, starting to bound happily.

"Einstein, keeping you fed is a waste of exercise; you consume your own bodyweight and still complain of hunger." Francis said, rolling his eyes. "But it'll be fun, Francis! Don't be such a stick in the mud!" Whisper exclaimed, clearly excited. Francis just rolled his eyes. And with that, we started walking through the park. The grass was soft underneath my aged paws and the sun felt nice on my fur. We found our way into the forest part of the park.

"Mom?" Whisper said. I looked over at her and saw a worried expression on her face. "What is it, dear?" I replied. "It's Einstein. He's not following." Whisper said, looking back with her ears lowered. I did the same and Einstein was far behind us, looking confused as to where he is. "Oh no…" I said, feeling worried.

"What is it, Rose?" Dodger asks, coming up beside me. "Einstein is having another episode." I answer, still looking at the confused great dane. Dodger looks to his right and saw where Einstein was. "Oh no. C'mon Rose." Dodger said, starting to run ahead of me.

I quickly follow him. When we make it to Einstein, he looked misty eyed as if he was unaware of where he was at. "Einstein? Are you alright?" I asked. He jumped at the sound and shook his head. "Oh… Sorry Rose and Dodger, I got lost…" he said, sounding embarrassed. I took to his left side, giving him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, old friend. We'll help you." I said grinning softly. Dodger took to his other side.

"Thank you guys. I guess I just got confused." he said, keeping up with us. "It's alright, Einy." Dodger said kindly. We make it back to the others, who were also worried. "What happened to ya? Didn't you see where we were going?" Tito asked, "This is the 10th time that this has happened!" "Tito, cool it. He just got lost." I say in defense to Einstein.

"Is he okay?" Whisper wondered, her ears lowered. I go to Whisper and give her a nuzzle. "He'll be fine dear. Don't worry." I reply, licking her on her forehead. "Oh I hope so…" she said, looking at him.

"Did Einy have another episode again?" Ryan asked, sitting by Rita. All I did was look at him. Sometimes you don't need to respond to figure out the answer. He looked down for a moment. Despite that happening, I didn't want to forget why we came here in the first place. It was to spend time with Oliver and Ryan.

"Hey, how about a race guys? Let's not worry anymore about what just happened. Let's remember why we came here." I remind, starting to wag my fluffy tail. This excited everyone and the started to bound in excitement; especially Whisper. She was ready to go.

We all started to run across the park. Oliver did fairly well to keep up with the seven of us as well as Ryan despite him having only three legs. It was a little hard for him to rough-house but he got the hang of it. Whisper ran and jumped at us while whining happily. Being in this park was one of the places she felt the happiest.

The wide open space meant we could run for as long as our hearts contended. All of us loved the freedom it gave us. Ryan jumped up in the air to catch a butterfly with Rita behind him. I'm amazed that she was able to jump up like this even at her elderly age.

Finally, we all start to wind down. I laid down on my belly next to Dodger and Whisper laid next to me while panting. Einstein was lying on his right side, resting from all the fun we all just had. It definitely gave us quite the appetite. Rita was beside Ryan and Oliver was beside Dodger and I and Francis sat by his lonesome.

Tito was the only one who didn't rest. He tried everything he could to bring us back up. "Hey, chill out would ya Tito?" Dodger said. Oliver looked over to Dodger and I. "So, are we ready to get lunch?" Dodger said, standing up. I joined him.

"Alright troops. There's a ham over there with our names written all over it. Francis, you give that old girl a performance they won't forget." Dodger said, making a head gesture towards the family behind us, "Tito, Einstein, give them a helping hand. Rita, Ryan, Whisper, and kid you're with Rose and I. We shall have us a feast." Dodger declared. They all give a nod of approval.

Francis puffs his chest out and prepared himself to present them with his theatrical nature. Einstein was bounding around again in excitement. Einstein and Tito also played dead on the ground. It distracted the family long enough for the rest of us to make our move. I grabbed the ham, Rita grabbed the basket with the other food in it. Dodger grabbed bread and Ryan grabbed a meatloaf that was sitting on a plate. Whisper swiped some fruit.

"Let's get out of here." Rita said getting us to nod. Just before the people noticed us, we all took off with our prizes. When we all make it to the entrance to the park, everyone puts the food down.

"Well, guys, me and Oliver got head home before Jenny gets home from school. I'll be seeing you tonight, my Chica Rita?" Ryan said, nuzzling his mate. Rita nuzzled him back and her tail wagged. "You know it, Ry-Ry. I can't wait for it." she replied. Ryan blushed deeply at this remark. They had to put off their date since Ryan's accident so now they can take their time.

"I'll go with them, Dodge. I'll be back soon. You head back with them Whisper. Make sure no one eats until I get back." I said, looking at my daughter. "Okay, mom. I'll keep them in check. You can count on me." Whisper nods. Dodger nuzzles me and licks my cheek. "Be careful, Rosie." he said in a whisper. This gets me to giggle. "I will." I reply, licking him back.

And with that, I go back with Ryan and Oliver, who was now on my back. Today felt good because my family got to spend today together. I didn't even think about Ednis the whole time and Ryan didn't need to know at this moment. I didn't want to ruin our time spent together. With not only my friends… but with my family as well.


	6. Chapter 6 A Familiar Face

Two days pass us by in the blink of an eye. Whisper would finally get to go out on her own and honestly I'm kind of nervous to let her out on her own. Although Dodger reassures me that she will be fine on her own as he told me countless times before. She's an adult and can handle herself now.

Dodger and me sit outside along with the others and waited for Whisper to come out of the barge. "You sure she's ready for this?" Rita asks us, taking a seat next to us. "We're sure, Rita. She's all grown up and can handle herself." Dodger said, looking at the elder afghan hound. Just as he said this, Whisper came out of the barge in a confident manner.

I stand up and walk to her. Putting my muzzle on her back, she nuzzles me affectionately. "You'll do just fine, my dear. I know you can do this." I tell her, licking her motherly. "Thank you, mama. I'll bring back something great for the gang. Just you wait." Whisper said excitedly. She was ready to go.

"Dad?" Whisper said, looking at Dodger. He comes over and nuzzled his daughter. "We've taught you good enough. Be careful out there." he reminds her. "I know, dad. I'll do my best. Don't send anyone out there for me, please." she tells him. I looked over her shoulder to look at my mate. In his eyes I knew he wouldn't keep his promise but he told her that he wouldn't.

"I won't. I promise." he said. And with that, Whisper makes her way up and into the city. I watched as she left. Once she was fully gone, Dodger said, "Tito, Francis, keep a close watch on her." "Will do, Dodger man. If anything harms that kid, I will unleash a raging ball of fury on the culprit." Tito agreed.

"We will report back if there's anything afoot." Francis agreed. I let my ears lower all the way. I thought Dodger was confident that she would be alright. I guess he wasn't fully. The two dogs then leave to follow her. "Should've known you'd do that." I asked. "I'm just looking out for our daughter too. I'm just as nervous as you are. Besides, they'll report back if anything happens." Dodger assured. I sigh and look up at the boardwalk. I hope so...

(Whisper)

The sun warmed my red and white fur as I trotted down the street sidewalks with my tail raised. I was finally doing it. I was finally getting to do my first food hunt in this city. All of the time that I would be out here, I'd have someone come with me. I mean, I love my family and my parents but I do need my space. Needless to say, I didn't spend too much time on sight seeing. I needed to get food and prove that I don't need assistance.

Putting my husky nose to the ground, I catch a smell coming from the next couple of streets. It was a good one. Wagging my fluffy tail, I start running towards the delicious scent. It was most likely a doggy bag that had my name written all over it.

Once making it, my chomps start to water. It wasn't what I thought it was. It was a full rack of ribs sitting in an alleyway. Gosh, it smelled so good I couldn't just leave it behind. And that's what I did, I pick it up with my teeth and begin to trot happily back to the barge. The gang will be happy to see this. I was so happy with my prize that I didn't even bother to look over my shoulder to see if I was being followed.

"Hey Missy! That's our ribs you got there!" a shrill voice catches my attention, making me stop in my tracks. My pointed ears twitch as I looked around. "Who's there?" I ask, a bit nervous but composed. That's when three large dogs make their appearance. They were not who'd I thought they were. One was a black dogo argentino, another was the same breed but a white color. The third one was a boerboel and he was brown and white. They all surrounded me with their teeth bared.

"Who are you three? What do you want?" I say, trying to remain confident. "It matters little who we are, husky. That ribs you have belong to us. So unless you want to see yourself on the brink of death, leave the ribs here and we won't lay a fang on you." the black female dogo argentino said, obviously taking charge of the three. Not wanting to take any chances of losing the food I just found, I glared at her with a tough look, my pointed ears raised.

"Forget it, sister. I found this on my own. Besides, I don't see your name written on it." I say in a sassy manner. This angered the bigger dog and she growled at me deeply. "Don't test me, you little rat. Give me the ribs." she said starting to get angrier by the second. Not wanting anymore confrontation, I turn around and make a run for it. "You brat!" the black female shouted and three sets of paws start closing in behind me. They were chasing me.

From a distance, a set of eyes were watching the fray happen. A white american shepherd to be exact. He knew those dogs and he recognized the red siberian husky female. He decided to go after them.

(Whisper)

I couldn't stop running… I had to outrun these dogs. But they were closing in on me quickly. But I turn another corner. I gaze behind me to see that they were gone; or so I thought. I feel a set of sharp teeth grabbing onto my hind leg. "Got you, you little brat!" that same dog growled as she roughly pulled me back roughly. I got pulled into an alleyway and dropped the ribs. The black female dog held me down by just using her strong paw.

"I will make you regret running from us!" she barked, going in for the kill. Before her teeth could make contact with my neck, I see a white figure jump over me and take down the black female dog. Looking up, I see that it was a white american shepherd who looked to be a bit taller than the three muscular dogs. He growled deeply at them with his teeth bared, ears raised, and tail raised.

The boerboel makes a fighting jump at the shepherd with a growl, which the shepherd jumped at him. The two dogs start to fight aggressively with the other two joining in. I roll over to my belly with my forelegs in front of me. I watched as the three dogs fight. The only sound I could hear was nothing but loud barks, whines, and growls.

Then, just like that, the white shepherd drove them away. He panted and gave an aggressive snort before turning to look at me. That face… it looked so familiar. His green eyes gave a recognizable vibe. "You didn't need to do that, you know. I could've handled them myself." I say, standing up and shaking my red fur. "Psh, please. They would've torn you limb from limb if I hadn't come along. Those ribs you had were fair game." the shepherd said mockingly. I growled at him in offense.

"Who do you think you are really?!" I snarl, taking a step forward. "Excuse me but I'm the dog who saved your life. You should be grateful." the white shepherd said. Is he serious right now? Who does he think he is by underestimating me? "You got some nerve, buddy. Why don't you do yourself a favor and leave me alone?" I say, trying to get by him. But he then gets in front of me with an impish grin. I jump at him but he ends up pinning me to the ground.

"Pinned ya." he said. I then looked at him and those two words sparked on like a light. I know who this dog is. He did the exact same thing at our first encounter. "Beau?" I say, my ears raised. "You got it, Whisper." he chuckled, his interest piqued. He then gets off of me so I could stand up. The two of us just stared at each other for what felt like the longest time. He looked so much different now…

"Whisper!" the sound of my mother's voice broke our trance. We both look over and see my mother and father racing over to me with their teeth bared. Mother barked and growled at Beau deeply, causing him to back up in shock. "Oh, Whisper! You're okay!" Einstein said happily. Father also growled at Beau.

"Father, why did you break your word?" I growl at my father. "It's good I did. Your mother and I did. Those dogs would have hurt you. You're not to go out without someone to come with you." dad said, quickly turning to glance at me. "What?! I was doing just fine even before Beau-" I start but my mother instantly growled. "Beau?!" she growled. She didn't like the sound of Beau being here. Neither did dad. Both of my parents and Beau growled at each other as well as barked.

I didn't want to see them fight. "Mom, dad stop! He didn't hurt me! He saved me." I intervene, getting in between them. My parents stop growling and look at the both of us dumbfounded. They assumed he'd hurt me but they didn't see those other dogs chase and almost hurt me.

"You saved her? Why?" Mom said. "Those dogs would've turned her to kibble. So… please… if you would be so humble and allow me to join your gang as repay for saving her." Beau suggested. However, I know that they won't let him join in just like that.

"No. You were banished with the Liberated Wolves." Dad says immediately, stepping forward. Beau backed up a bit at dad's reaction. "I have left them. I'm nothing more than a rogue finding scraps to hold me over. You're really gonna judge me now? Or are you gonna blame me for something I didn't do." Beau replied, not faltering.

Rita then walks forward. "Rose, Dodger. He did save her. Why not give him a chance?" she said. Mom and Dad calmed down at Rita's words. They looked at each other for a moment. "Yes, you two. We are in his debt and you two should know that all of said depths should be prospered. Please reconsider this." Francis said, putting his two cents in.

Mom looked down and walked off for a moment. She started to pace back and forth with her ears lowered. Sure, she doesn't trust Beau but surely she had to give him a chance. She then returned to us. "Fine. You can come with. But if you try anything, you will regret it. Mark my words. Tito might even give you a good lesson if we let him." Mom warns, keeping her eyes on Beau.

"Yes, you better watch out, muchacho! You won't see the next day! Whisper is blood and we don't take kindly to anyone hurting her!" the chihuahua barked, giving a growl. All I did was shake my head in disbelief. Dad goes over and picks up the rack of ribs that I was carrying. "Let's go home." he says and starts to lead the way back home. Beau and I grin at each other for a moment before following the gang.

I can tell that this won't be easy for Beau.


	7. Chapter 7 Unwelcome Stranger

(Rose)

Evening falls over New York and we make it back to the houseboat. Everyone had gone inside with the ribs Whisper had gotten. I knew that something like this would happen. Deep down I had a feeling… and after that encounter, she won't be alone anymore with the food runs. But I'm honestly kind of grateful that Beau saved her from whoever was chasing her. I didn't want him to see though.

The white shepherd starts going inside the barge. Growling, I jump in front of him and give him a hardened glare. After what happened, he's not coming inside the boat house. "You stay out here. You're not to be trusted.." Dodger scolds, giving him a glare. We then go inside the houseboat without saying another word to him.

(Whisper)

Mom and Dad still don't trust Beau. Even after he saved me from those dogs. With my ears lowered, I watched as he lays down a few windows away from the doorway with his forelegs crossed. I felt bad for him honestly. Even though he's with that other gang, I couldn't help but feel for him. I had to talk with him since I never properly thanked him for it.

I stand in front of him. He notices and looks up at me. "Hey, I never thanked you for saving my butt today." I say. "Pfft. What kind of street dog are you, husky? Running from dogs you've never met wasn't smart. You made it worse for yourself. You wouldn't last a single day out in the city on your own." he said distantly. He sits up with his ears lowered.

"Oh? And I suppose you know what you're doing also?" I say, taking a couple of steps towards him. "Yeah. Your gang had been with you whenever you went out I'm assuming. They've treated you like you were a pup." he said a bit coldly. I looked away for a moment, indicating that that was true.

"Whisper!" Dad called. "I'm coming!" I say, glancing behind me. I start to head back into the houseboat. But I stop when I make it a few steps. "Beau?" I say, glancing behind me. "What?" he replied. "Let's get out of here tomorrow morning. I know a place where we can go." I say in a low voice. He was surprised but remained quiet.

Back on the boardwalk, both Ednis and Odin watched as the Siberian Husky talked with the American White Shepherd. Ednis grinned down with a poisoned evil written all over it. Her plan was going perfectly. "What is this? He let her go, Ednis. He should've killed her right then and there." Odin growled. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Calm yourself, Odin. Our plan is going just as we intended. Rose and Dodger fell for it. Raven, you, and Rebel did a fantastic job leading Beau to where he is now. Now, the more he connects with their daughter, the closer he will get to them. Once he's got them all alone… he will make his finishing move." Ednis says calmly. To signify what she meant by his finishing move, she grabs a large stick that was laying on the ground and she snaps it in two with just her jaws.

(Rose)

The next morning, the air was chilly. I step outside to get some fresh air. I stretched my old limbs and walk up onto the boardwalk and go to watch the sun rise up. Since I've come close to reaching my elder stage, it's become my favorite pastime. The array of colors in the sky made me smile. It was mixed with orange, yellow, pink, and blue. It was absolutely marvelous to witness.

"Enjoying the sunrise, Rose?" Rita's voice catches my attention. I glance back at my old friend and smiled. "Yeah, I just love the colors." I reply, looking back ahead. She takes a seat next to me. "It's really beautiful this morning." she tells me, looking up. "Yeah it is." I reply, giving a relaxed sigh. We sat in silence for a few moments.

"Rose?" Rita said. "Hmm?" I reply, lifting my ears a little. "You did the right thing." she said. "About what?" I ask. She looked at me and said, "By taking Beau in the way you did. He might be telling the truth with leaving Ednis' gang." I sighed and gazed down for a moment. "But what if he's working with her secretly? I mean, surely there are secrets he's hiding." I replied, having doubts.

"You worry too much, Rose. We haven't heard anything from her in over two years. Surely she had forgotten about us." Rita assured. "I highly doubt it. She wouldn't give up that easily. Dodger and I don't trust Beau around Whisper though." I say, my voice tightening. "He saved her, Rose. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have done anything. Besides, I can tell he's a good kid. And even though Whisper's your adopted daughter, you guys need to give her space to help her grow as a tough street dog. That's what we did with you at her age and look where you are now. You've matured a lot since you were much younger." she said smiling.

I grinned at this. She wasn't wrong about that. I was just like Whisper at her age. But with the much needed space and the valued teachings of the gang, I learned to not be weak in this city. "Yeah… I guess you're right. She does need her space. Dodger and I shouldn't smother her. And as for what you said about me maturing, that is true also. These streets don't scare me." I said with confidence. "There you go. Now, enough of all this worry. How about we have us some girl time? Been a while since we got out and wandered the city." Rita suggested. "I'd like that." I agreed.

The two of us stand and walk away from the boardwalk with Rita a step ahead of me. It felt good to have Rita talk me down. And having some girl time with my best friend will do me some good as well.

(Whisper)

I could hear Mom and Rita talking up on the boardwalk. Although, I couldn't make out what they were saying. Beau was starting to make his way up there. Tilting my head to the right, I wondered what he was doing. I trot up to where he is as quietly as I could to where he was at. He seemed to be transfixed on something but whatever that was wouldn't keep us from hanging out.

"Good morning!" I say, coming up beside him. He jumped out of his fur and was close to falling into the water. "Don't do that!" he scolded. I giggled at this and made my way in front of him with my fluffy tail raised. "I hope you didn't forget about that trip I mentioned." I remind him. He shook his head for a moment. "Oh, no, I didn't forget. Just wanted to get a head start is all." he said, his voice slightly on edge. But I just brushed it off.

"Well then, follow me. It's not too far from us." I say, starting to walk up the boardwalk while looking back at him. He grins slightly and soon follows me. Surely he'll love the place that I'm taking him.

The Brooklyn Bridge was my personal choice to hang out. It gave us a great view of the bay below us as well as the city on each side of us. "Wow, this is actually… pretty nice." Beau said, sounding pleased with the view. "Yeah… my mom always brought me here when I was a pup. It's her favorite place to come too when she wants to think." I said, taking in the view. But my sight seeing didn't last long as I saw Beau gaze down in guilt.

"What's the matter?" I ask, looking at him. "Sorry, I gotta ask. Why do your parents hate me?" he asked, getting my ears to drop a little bit. "It's not that they don't. They just… have a hard time trusting you because you were apart of The Liberated Wolves. Which begs the question, what made you leave them anyway?" I ask. Surely he had to have a reason as to why he left.

"It's my mother. She won't stop at nothing until she gets her way. But… what that reason is I want to keep to myself. She's nothing but a controlling, selfish, brute. I couldn't handle it anymore so I ran away. If I told her that I wanted to be on my own, I'd get a bite from her or from the other members. She's too manipulative so talking with her is like finding a needle in a haystack." he said, looking from me to the view ahead. "Oh… I see. That must've been unfair to you…" I say with empathy.

"Psh… it was. But I hope she'll stay out of my life for good." he proclaimed, gritting his teeth. I sigh and look away for a moment. Then it clicked, Ednis and Beau were too completely different dogs. So how would they be related? "Look, I don't want to interrogate you with all of these questions but… how is Ednis your mother? You two don't look anything alike." I wonder. He perked up at my question. The look on his face showed that he was unsure of telling me.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I tell him. "No, no it's fine. I'll tell you." he said, putting his forepaw on mine. The second our paws made contact, I felt my face heat up heavily. Thankfully, he didn't notice. "The reason I wound up with her and The Liberated Wolves in the first place… was because my real mother… died when I was just a pup. My mother died from being beaten to death by unruly humans. I was hungry, alone, and cold. About a week after it happened, Ednis had found me and she took me in. Now… I'm wishing she had just left me on the street to die." he said, looking down.

Looking at him, he had silent tears flowing down his cheeks. He's been through a lot like I have… "Oh… I didn't realize… that's what you meant by…" I start, feeling my heart breaking with each word. "Don't. You don't have to say it." he stopped me.

It was silent for a few minutes but I had decided to change the subject. We continued to talk until the sun was at its peak above the city. And while I got him out here, I believe it's time for me to show him how to loosen up in this city to help him relax.


	8. Chapter 8 Thrill Ride

(Whisper)

Beau agreed to give me a few lessons on how to defend oneself when encountering other street dogs in this city. I did have some skills in my repertoire however, I found myself eager to see what he has in store.

I saw him lying in an alley on his belly facing away from me. This gave me the opportunity to sneak up on him. Crouching down, I start sneaking towards him. Not realize how loud I was actually being, I jump at him. "Gotcha!" I yell but miss him. He had managed to avoid me so easily. "You gotta learn to be more quiet when trying to ambush someone." he said, giving me a scoff as he walks past me. "Please, I was doing okay." I say, turning to face him.

"Psh, alright, I'll believe you." he said sarcastically. "Oh yeah, show me how you do it since I'm so bad at it." I say in a growl. He trots out with his tail raised. I follow him a few steps behind. It wasn't my fault that there was tipped over trash cans all throughout the alleyway. So it was hard to avoid them.

The alley way we come across had made some noise, getting Beau's attention. It was the trash can but neither of us could see what was making that noise. "Okay, now watch and learn." he whispers to me, crouching down. Steadily, he makes his way over to the trash can. He starts to bark loudly and he jumped at the trash can.

"Ay! What are you doing?! You better get out of my face, muchacho!" Tito's voice growled. Beau skidded back a bit by Tito. I facepalm and shook my head. Why was he here? I groan and walk beside him. "Tito, what are you doing here?" I ask, clearly irritated. "Oh, Whisper! Thank goodness you're here. This punk was about to attack me." Tito said, growling at Beau. "Please, he was only showing me how to be more stealthy. Has my parents asked about my whereabouts? Did they send you to find me?" I asked, glaring down at him.

"Oh no they haven't asked. Your mom is out with Rita somewhere. And they haven't sent me and Einy out to find ya. We're only getting lunch for today. And this alley's loaded with food." Tito said, rummaging through the trash can and pulled out an apple that someone threw out. "Wait, you said Einstein is with you. I don't see him." I say, looking around. "Right here, Whisper." Einstein said, looking up with a steak in his mouth. He sees me and Beau. Being as protective as he is, he didn't take it too kindly.

"Whisper, why's he here? Did he lay a paw on you?" he growled, coming at us. "Einy, calm down. He hasn't done a thing to hurt me. He was teaching me how to be more stealthy. And now it's my turn to teach him a thing or two." I respond, looking at Beau. He had a look of confusion of what I was getting at. "What could you possibly teach me?" he asked. "To loosen up. Have some actual fun by car surfing." I say, walking towards the street.

"Um… what's car surfing? I don't understand what that term means." Beau asked in confusion. "Oh it's fun, amigo. Dodger and Rose had taught her when she was a pup." Tito said, strutting by him. "Yeah, stick with us. You will get the hang of it." Einstein agreed, strutting by him also. Beau was slightly confident. I see an oncoming taxi coming from around the corner.

"Okay, when the taxi arrives, jump as hard as you can and you should land on it easy." I tell him all the while keeping both eyes on the taxi. Once it was at least a couple of inches, I make my jump onto the taxi perfectly. Beau joined me swiftly. He almost slid off the side but I was able to catch him. Tito and Einstein also joined us.

"Whoa! This is weird! You guys do this for fun?" Beau asks as the car started moving.  
"Oh yeah! It gets even better! Watch this!" Einstein said, jumping to another car that was going in the same direction as the taxi. "What are you doing?!" Beau shouted, clearly not used to this. "Loosen up, would you? Look, just stay relaxed and always look forward. Don't ever look anywhere else otherwise you're just asking to get hit by one of these cars." I tell him, preparing to make a second jump.

From my peripheral vision, I could see he was hesitant. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the exact same way when my parents showed me this technique. I exhale and relaxed. Then I skillfully make my jump to the next car without any issue. I turn to Beau and wait for him to join me. He just stared at me with his pointed ears laid back all the way.

"C'mon, Beau! We don't have all day!" I say. With a gulp, he does so and ends up making it. "There you go. See it's not that bad." Tito said, leaping to another car. I jump at least three more taxis and stood on the taxi sign and let the wind blow through my red and white fur.

Looking back, Beau took a minute to catch up. He was starting to get the hang of it. "C'mon! To Madison Avenue!" Tito announced. He was right because Madison Avenue was coming up short so we decided to make a pit stop there. The four of us jump down to the street and share a short laugh.

"What'd ya think, amigo?" Tito said, wagging his skinny tail at Beau. Looking at the cars, he smiled genuinely. "That… was honestly fun. My mother would never let me do anything like that." Beau said loosely. "Well, she ain't here. So let's have some more fun before the sun sets!" Einstein suggested, starting to take the lead. "Right behind ya, Einy!" I say, trotting beside him. Beau quickly followed.

We make it up to an alleyway of Steinway Street and spotted something settled in the distance. "Wait, stop guys." I say, sniffing the air with my left foreleg raised. "What is it, Whisper?" Tito asked. "There's something ahead. I'm gonna go check it out. If it's clear, then I'll let you know." I say, taking it to a crouching position. Quickly moving, I hug the left wall and moved as quietly as I could to the entrance of the street. Once I make it there, I barely poke my head around to see what it was.

It was the dog catchers truck with smoke coming out of the tailpipe and the engine rumbling. Oh no… I move back a few steps so I was out of the dog catchers sight. "What is it?" Beau asks concerned. "Dog catcher around 2 o'clock." I whisper as to not draw attention to him. "Estúpido loco…" Tito said, shaking his head. "What do we do?" Einstein asked curiously. We waited a moment to come up with a plan.

"Okay, I'll distract him so you guys can make a run for it. I will catch up with you." I suggest, catching them off guard. "Are you sure, Whisper? What if he catches you?! You know your parents won't be happy if you get caught." Einstein asked, giving me concerned eyes. "I'm the second fastest so he'll never catch me." I reply. I was the second fastest dog here so there would be a good chance that I'll outrun him.

"Okay… be careful." Beau said. I give him a wink to show that I would. I run out of the alleyway and face the dog catcher, tail and ears raised. He didn't see me to begin with. "Arf-Arf!" I barked twice loud enough to get his attention. It seemed to work because he looked straight at me with a jerk to his head.

He grinned and slowly got his catching pole. "Hey there. Pretty siberian husky like you don't need to be in the streets. Why don't you come with me?" he said, starting to walk towards me with the pole. I growled deeply and bared my teeth at him. Of course, he was cautious that I would bite him. When that catch pole got within an inch from my neck, I bit down on the pole and manage to tear it out of the dog catcher's hands. I then take off running in the other direction.

"Hey! Get back here, you stupid mutt!" he yelled after me. Beau and them make a run for it too. "Over there!" I yell, quickly turning the corner with the others behind me. The dog catcher was behind us with his catch pole. I could feel that adrenaline coursing through my blood the longer we ran from him. It felt amazing. I gaze over at Beau to see that he was obviously getting the gist of the fun we were having. We run through a few streets to get away from the dog catcher.

There was a truck up ahead with a trailer attached to it. "Up there! C'mon!" I say, jumping on a car to make it onto the truck with the others behind me. Lucky for us, the truck was still moving so it was too fast for the dog catcher to actually catch us. "Whoo! What a blast!" Beau said, jumping around with his tail wagging vigorously. "See? What did we tell you? Ya just gotta loosen up." Tito said, closing his eyes and taking in the cool breeze.

"That was fun. I wanna do that again." Beau said happily. Closing my eyes, I smile and take in the cool breeze. That seemed to do the trick. When I turned my head to feel the air hitting my face, my nose touches something else. I quickly opened my eyes and see that… I was touching noses with Beau.

I instantly blush and pull back in embarrassment. He too blushed a deep red and chuckled nervously. "Sorry." he apologized nervously. At this, my heart started to beat a million miles an hour. And I felt warm and fuzzy inside. What was this feeling? Was it love? Absolutely not. I mean it wasn't the familial love that I get from my parents and the gang. It was a different kind of love…


	9. Chapter 9 Night of the Town

(Whisper)

Night time had fallen upon us. Tito and Einstein had decided to head home to let mom and dad know that I would be back soon. It was fine though. I wasn't worried about being home late this time. I wanted to spend as much time with Beau as long as I can. The both of us laid on our back side by side in Central Park and gazed at the twinkling stars above us.

"Wow… the stars are… glorious tonight." Beau tells me in a relaxed voice. "Yeah they are." I replied, giving a smile. "Y'know, I've never actually did something like this before." he tells me. I turn my head to look at the american white shepherd. He had a warm smile plastered on his face. "Really?" I ask. "Yeah… I was never allowed to go outside of where The Liberated Wolves live. So… I've never found a moment like this where I could just… take in the scenery and just relax." he said a bit sadly. How could that pack of his not let him come out here to do things like this? That's honestly unfair.

"Oh… that must've…" I start, my ears laid back. "Sucked? Yeah, it was." he said, closing his green eyes, "You must think I'm ridiculous for even saying that. All my life I'd been forced into training to be their next leader but deep down, I want nothing to do with it. I was always made to fight with the other members but I always ended up on the bottom…"

"No. I don't think you're ridiculous for saying that. They treated you unfairly so I don't blame you for leaving." I replied, "My parents and my gang had always raised me to not only feel the rhythm of the city beneath my paws but to be a team player when it comes to surviving these streets. They tell me to live each day as if it were my last." He never took his eyes off of me as I talked.

He then sighs and stands up to his paws. I roll over to my belly and stand up. "Beau? What's wrong?" I ask, coming up next to him. He sighed and looked up at the stars. "It's just that… I've never had someone actually take a moment out of their day to lend their ear to actually listen." he tells me sadly. Feeling my heart break, I sit down close beside him and nuzzle under his chin with my ears laid back. He hesitates for a moment before nuzzling me back. That feeling became more apparent now. I could tell that he felt the same way about me. He didn't need to say it.

(Rose)

I sat outside on the deck and looked up at the stars, wondering where Whisper and Beau were. I was hoping they're okay. My ears lowered and I looked down at my paws. "Whisper?" Dodger said from behind me. I gaze behind me and see my mate coming towards me. "Sorry I'm just… thinking." I tell him. He nuzzles me tenderly on my shoulder. "About what?" he asked, raising a brow.

"I guess about Whisper and Beau. Do you think…?" I ask him, looking at the stars. "That he's a good influence on her? I see it. Tell me that you do too. I mean, the kid has been through a lot." Dodger replies. "Yeah… I do see him as a good influence on Whisper." I reply, smiling. "Good. He's nothing like Ednis. He's got a good heart. So let's not be too hard on him." Dodger applied. I lick him on the head lovingly. "You're right. We've misjudged him. Him and Whisper will be good friends if not mates." I reply, keeping my body pressed against his.

"Absolutely positutely…" he sighed happily, "You know what? I'll talk with him tomorrow morning. He needs to know that we're sorry for how we treated him." I nod at this. "You do what you have to do." Beau should know that we trust him and we shouldn't push him away from our daughter.

(Whisper)

After our talk in the park, I decided to take him out for dinner. And I knew the perfect place to get it. We come up to Prince Street Pizza and thankfully it was still open. "What's this place?" Beau asked, tilting his head a bit. "Prince Street Pizza. The best pizza place in this city. My parents and gang come here often to get food." I say, smelling the delightful aroma of cooked pizza come to my nose. "It smells amazing…" Beau says, wagging his fluffy tail in the process.

I start trotting to the alleyway with my tail raised and smell more of the pizza. It was coming to the back door. "Whisper, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Beau asks, faltering about this. "Yes, I do. This place closes around this time; meaning they throw out what food they haven't sold. We'll be able to catch a good meal tonight." I say, trying to find to find a hiding spot. "Okay… lead the way." he said, following close behind me.

The place we hid was another trash dumpster and carefully watched for the humans to put the pizza out. It was small so we ended up being pressed up together as a result. His white fur touching mine and being next to him in this moment in time made my heart skip a couple of beats.

It took about 5 minutes before someone came out of the restaurant with a tub filled with unused food and puts it in the bin and walks back inside. "Okay, it's clear." I whisper, walking out from our hiding spot. Beau follows behind a couple of steps. "Now we got a smorgasbord." I say, taking the pizza from the trash can with my teeth. I take it to a makeshift table a couple of feet away. I set it on the table and sit by it. Beau doesn't hesitate to join me.

We glance at each other and the look in his green eyes made my heart flutter. They were so beautiful… I blushed and my pointed ears lay back all the way. He smiles at me and gives me a lick on my cheek. "You're beautiful… Whisper." he says to me in a soft voice. My face went red and I chuckled with delight.

I start to eat the pizza and he joins in. The taste was delicious and I ate it right up. Little did I know, I grabbed one end of another slice and he did the same. We started to eat it and once it was finished, we were surprised to find that our noses were touching yet again. My heart skipped two more beats and I quickly pull away in slight embarrassment.

He moves closer to me and nuzzles me. I nuzzle him back with my eyes closed and a huge smile on my face. Our fluffy tails even started to wag from how happy we were. It was as if nothing could come between us. Everything was perfect...


	10. Chapter 10 Betrayal

(Whisper)

The two of us head back home shortly after our date in the city. The whole way there, I didn't leave his side. The whole time I couldn't stop smiling and my heart wouldn't stop racing. He's given me the best night I could ask for right next to my mother finding me as a pup. It felt amazing…

We make it to the barge and walk to his sleeping spot. Giving him a nuzzle, we say our goodnights. I give him one last dreamy look, I go back inside to get some rest.

(Rose)

I hear some noise coming from the outside of the barge. Opening my eyes, I see it's none other than Whisper coming down the stairs. "Whisper?" I say, lifting up my head along with my ears. She looks over to me and walks over. "Hey mom." she said. I gave my daughter a nuzzle along with a motherly lick on her cheek. "Where have you been? Hadn't seen you all day." I ask her softly. "Just showing Beau the ropes is all." she replied. Her cheeks were turning red by mentioning the white american shepherd's name. They had to have done more than just show him the ropes. But I didn't want to butt in and just left it be.

"Goodnight mom." she tells me, nuzzling me once more. "Goodnight honey." I say, watching her go to her bed that was right beside Rita. Once she laid down and went to sleep, I look over to Dodger, who was fast asleep as well. Then my eyes shift to the entrance of the barge. Beau wasn't such a bad dog. He is a good influence around Whisper. Therefore, we should let him sleep inside tonight.

I went over to Dodger and gave him a nuzzle to wake him up. Slowly, he opens his eyes. "What is it, Rose?" he said tiredly. "I think we should let Beau sleep in here tonight. The weather is kind of cold so… he shouldn't stay out there and freeze." I whisper to him. He gets up and stretches his aging limbs. He smiles at me and licks my muzzle affectionately. "Yeah. I agree." he replied, getting out of his bed.

He was thinking the same thing that I was about Beau. We both knew he was a good influence. With that, the two of us trotted to the deck of the houseboat. Beau heard us coming and instantly jumped up to look at us. "You know… it's kind of cold tonight. Come on in." Dodger suggested to the young dog. He was surprised by our gesture. "Really? I thought… you guys didn't want me inside?" he said nervously. "We know but… you're a good kid and we shouldn't let you freeze tonight." I say with a smile. He grinned and followed us inside.

From the deck above, a pair of eyes was watching the whole thing. It was none other than Raven. "Get them, Beau…! What are you waiting for? Attack them! Now's your chance!" she whispered. But what she saw only made her angry. He didn't attack them like they planned, he had trusted them and decided to take shelter with them for the night. "You stupid idiot!" she growled, her teeth bared. She had to inform Ednis straight away.

Ednis growled in pure fury at the news given to her. "You're sure you saw what you told me?" she demanded, taking a step forward. "Precisely, my leader. I saw it with my own two eyes." Raven stated, keeping her head raised high. Ednis was starting to get angry and she walked away from Raven. "Beau cannot betray us!" she growled. "What should we do, my alpha?" Odin asked. "Easy, my subordinate, we will attack them tomorrow. Beau and Dodger will go off on their own to talk tomorrow. That'll be perfect."

The sun rose over the horizon, meaning that the weather would be warm today. Beau was the first one to wake up while the others were still sleeping. When he first woke up, his heart fluttered heavily in his chest. The way that Whisper was laying up against him with her paw on his made him speechless. Words couldn't express just how beautiful she looked.

At this moment, the plan he was secretly concealing from Whisper and the gang didn't mean anything to him anymore. There was no way he could hurt Whisper or lose his trust with Rose and Dodger. But… there had to be a way to tell her. Even if he didn't want to. He couldn't lose her, the only street dog in this city to show him such valiant and affection. The one thing he didn't see from any member of The Liberated Wolves.

He then goes outside onto the houseboat deck and sat down with his fluffy tail straight behind him. "Okay. I have to tell her." he said to himself, looking upwards at the orangey colored sky. The pressure of actually telling her bluntly was weighing heavy on his shoulders. "I can't… I can't do it…" he growled, shaking his head. His absence didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you alright, Beau?" Dodger's voice broke the tension. The American White Shepherd's pointed ears raised all the way and he looked behind him to see Dodger standing a few feet away from him. "Oh… it's nothing. Just needed some fresh air is all." he fibbed. Not wanting to butt in on his personal agenda, he comes up beside the shepherd. "I see what this is about." the Jack Russell said. Beau looked at him with worried eyes. "C'mon, let's go talk." Dodger suggested, heading straight for the boardwalk that lead up to the deck above.

Reluctantly, Beau follows him. He grew anxious that Dodger would suspect something. The two dogs travel in the heart of the city. The traffic was roaring this morning. However, no other humans were out this early in the morning. "So… my mate Rose and I have seen you and Whisper have obviously gotten close." Dodger said, walking with his tail raised. "Yeah… I guess you can say that." Beau said, blushing bright red.

Dodger saw this and grinned. "Well, you should know how much Whisper really means to Rose. Ever since she found her as a pup, we couldn't bear to part with her. Rose is unable to have anymore pups because of a health scare we had a few years ago. We sought another chance to become parents again after our first litter." Dodger told him, feeling grief that they wouldn't be able to reproduce anymore biologically. Beau's pointed ears flatten a little bit at hearing this.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Dodger… I really am. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Whisper. There's something about her that…" Beau started, his voice trailing off. "You love? It's pretty clear you have feelings for her. She has feelings for you as well. Tell you what, you're now a member of the gang. Although, I will talk with Rose about it." Dodger smiled at the White American Shepherd.

Beau's heart lifted up at hearing this. "Thank you, Dodger. Thank you." he said grinning as well. The two dogs got caught up in their conversation that they don't realize where they stumbled upon.

Then there was an evil chuckle in the air, getting both dogs to become alert. Then, about 6 dogs appear out of the darkness. It was none other than The Liberated Wolves. Beau started to shake from how anxious he was feeling. 'No… oh no no no.' he thought to himself. "Why Dodger…" Ednis chuckled sinisterly. Dodger bared his teeth at the Cane Corso. "Ednis." he growled. The dogs started to surround Dodger and Beau.

"Why are you out here alone? If you were so smart, you'd bring your half bred mate with you." she chuckled. Dodger snarled at the bigger dog for insulting his mate. "What do you want?" he asked in a demanding tone. "Oh, just to let our plan fulfill. Beau, excellent job for leading him into our trap." Ednis replied, chuckling evilly. Dodger felt his heart sink at the news. He thought he could trust Beau. He was kind enough to let him in the gang.

"You traitor!" Dodger growled at the shepherd. "No! I swear I didn't have anything to do with this!" Beau begged, cowering down a bit. The young shepherd had no idea that this would happen. He didn't want it to happen… "Attack him!" Ednis ordered. Raven made her first jump at him with her teeth bared. She jumped on the Jack Russell and bit down on his neck, pulling off his bandanna. Odin joined her and bit on his legs.

"No! Stop!" Beau cried, watching as Dodger was getting savagely attacked. Dodger fought back with everything that he had. Beau tried to help Dodger but was pinned down by Rebel and Marcus. The coal furred jack russell had him tightly on the hind leg while Rebel held him down with his large paws. "Don't even try anything, you runt. I knew you weren't strong enough to break your vow to that Siberian Husky. You've grown soft!" Rebel growled menacingly.

Beau growled at him and managed to get a bite on his leg. The bite was strong enough to draw some blood it caused Rebel to back off. Beau managed to kick the other Jack Russell in the face with his free paw. He managed to get to his paws and ambush Raven and Odin. Ednis had inflicted some powerful bites to the Jack Russell, making him struggle to stand.

Before another attack was influenced, Dodger had made his escape with his bandanna. Beau watches as Dodger runs from the situation, not caring enough to see if Beau was behind him. "You…" Ednis growled at Beau. Beau turned around to see the vexed expression on her face. She jumped at Beau with fury and bit down on his muzzle, drawing blood.

"Eeaaugh!" Beau yelled in pain. Beau staggers and looks at his mother. "How dare you betray your own family! That mutt had turned you soft! After all of the training you received! What was it for?! You were meant to kill that damn mutt! But you couldn't even do that! You're weak! You're not my son! I should've just left you to be beaten by the humans!" You're worthless!" Ednis growled at the American White Shepherd. Beau started to shake with both anger and sadness.

"You're not my mother… My real mother wouldn't treat me like this… I don't care about you, I don't care about this pack, I don't care about this mission! I'm done with this! You're nothing more than an egotistical, street dog who has nothing better to do than to harass others for your own selfish benefit!" Beau barked at her, getting her to head butt him. The force of the impact caused him to whine in pain. "Get out of here… Get out. And don't come BACK!" she growled at him.

Beau then does just that, not looking back. "What do we do, Ednis? He's obviously not capable of doing the mission." Raven asks, turning to her alpha. Ednis took a moment to think and she finally jumped on top of a makeshift tower. "I'll tell you what we'll do. Since Rose and Dodger have corrupted Beau, we will finish the job ourselves. Dodger is weak and injured. We will do what has been in our nature. Take over the city... by force!" she declared. All the members of The Liberated Wolves barked and howled in agreement.

They would come to desperate measures and kill all members of Rose and Dodger's gang.


	11. Chapter 11 Exile

(Rose)

It had been at least a few hours since Dodger and Beau had left the houseboat. I was growing worried about them. Dodger had said he'd talk with Beau this morning. All of these thoughts flew in my head. Did something happen? Did Ednis do anything to them? I surely hope none of those questions were true.

Rita, Ryan, Tito, and me had gone out to find them. We had spent the better part of two hours trying to locate them but neither of us could pick up a scent. The longer Dodger and Beau were gone, the more worried I was feeling. I couldn't lose my mate… I couldn't bear the thought.

"You guys think they went down to Madison Avenue?" Rita questioned, still sniffing around. "Possibly. Dodger told me that's where he would be going." I answer, looking back at her. Ryan was also very worried about Dodger and Beau's disappearance. "Oh I hope nothing bad happened. Ednis could've gotten them!" he said in a panicked tone. "I hope you're right, Ryan. At this stage, Ednis's next move is unpredictable. We don't know where she could turn up next." I say, looking ahead with my ears raised.

We ran down a couple of more streets that led to Madison Avenue. Then, a scent catches my nose, getting me to perk up. "That's his scent. C'mon!" I say, picking up speed. They followed me down the street. "Do you see them?" Ryan uttered. "Look! There he is!" Tito shouted, getting all four of us to look down an alleyway. He was limping heavily down it with his bandanna in his jaws.

"Dodger! No! Tito, get help! Go!" I shout, looking down at the chihuahua. "Right away, chica!" the chihuahua shouts, turning back to the direction of the barge. I was the first to make it to my mate and on closer inspection, he was covered in bite marks. His fur looked like it was torn from his body and he's covered in bruises as well. "Dodger, talk to us. What happened?" Rita said with a worried tone. Dodger's head was lowered to the ground along with his floppy ears. He panted heavily; each breath more painful than the last.

"Beau… ambush… agh…" he groaned in pain, collapsing to his right side. He groaned from the pain and let out a whimper. "No… Dodger hon… it can't be true." I say, giving him a few licks to the face. He didn't respond and ended up passing out due to how much pain he was in. "Let's get him home." Rita suggested. With a bit of help, we got him on my back. His head rested on my left shoulder. Ryan held onto his bandanna. Both Rita and Ryan took either side to make sure he didn't fall off.

After about two hours, Dodger was sore but mobile. "That two timing traitor… How could he…?" I growl in disbelief, knowing that Ednis's son couldn't be trusted after all. He was using Whisper to get to us. Because of this, there's no way he's staying around us or Whisper anymore. Just the fact that he was manipulating Whisper boils my blood.

However, we all hear the sound of someone descending down the stairs. Dodger instantly growled in anger. "Beau!" Whisper said with excitement. She tried to run to him but I stopped her by barking and growling. I decided to take charge while Dodger rested. Beau came down the stairs and was instantly greeted by our angry faces.

"What are you doing here, traitor?" I demand. Beau looked down in guilt with his pointed ears lowered and his tail between his legs. "Please… listen to reason… I had nothing to do with that ambush. I swear it…" he said, his voice trembling. "You don't belong in this gang." I say, growling. "Please… I ask for your and Dodger's forgiveness." Beau stuttered. Right now, I don't need his pity or forgiveness. He doesn't deserve to be forgiven for what he did.

"Mother, please… listen to him." Whisper begged, coming to my right side. "Be quiet, Whisper!" I snarl at her. Dodger then took to my right side. Despite him being sore, he wanted to confront him. "When you first came here, you asked for judgment." Dodger growled, baring his teeth at Beau. The shepherd was starting to back out of the house boat because of our aggression towards him.

"Get out! Don't let any of us see you again! If we do, we won't hesitate to bring you the pain that your pack inflicted onto me." Dodger snarled. "But… I…" Beau started. I ended up jumping at him and ended up biting his cheek to signify as a warning. "Get out! We don't want you around here or Whisper anymore! GO!" I yell, standing on the stairs with my tail raised all the way to show that I wasn't so kind.

"No!" Whisper cried. Beau took one last look at Whisper before darting up the stairs and disappearing out of the house boat. I keep both of my eyes on the doorway to make sure he wouldn't come back. Whisper then comes to me. "Mom, dad please reconsider!" she begged, her pointed ears flattened. "You won't go anywhere without an escort. You hear me?" I snap, looking back at her. She shook her head and looked at me with anger in her eyes.

"No! He didn't do anything wrong!" she argued. She's not seeing how much of a traitor Beau is. He didn't deserve to be part of this gang especially after finding out what he had done. "Don't you see? He was using you to get to us!" Dodger shouted. "Stop it! He loves me for me! He's been through so much! You don't know him!" Whisper barked, baring her teeth at us. "It doesn't matter what he's been through! It was an act! He's been following in that bitch's pawsteps! You won't leave this houseboat. You will stay here where we can keep a close eye on you… away from him." I said, walking by her with a sharp yet angry tone.

Then, she shouts something to both Dodger and I that made my heart shatter into pieces. "YOU'RE NOT MY PARENTS! MY REAL MOTHER WOULDN'T KEEP ME A PRISONER! YOU NEVER WILL BE MY PARENTS!" Whisper shouted at the top of her lungs, on the verge of tears. It was as though my whole world shattered beneath my paws. I couldn't move… all of those words struck me like lightening.

When I looked behind me, I saw that Whisper wasn't in here. She was gone…


	12. Chapter 12 Love Finds a Way

(Whisper)

I ran from the houseboat in tears. Why couldn't they understand how Beau feels about me? I didn't care about Beau being under Ednis's paw steps. I didn't care about any of that. I love him and he loves me… I just know it in my heart. And those two dogs who weren't my parents tried to keep us separated. I couldn't handle this banishment. My heart was telling me to be with him. I had to be with him.

I ran through the city and tried to find him. He was anywhere in sight. I checked Madison Avenue but that was a lost cause as well. Jumping onto a moving car, I gaze up at the sky with a saddened look on my face. I believed that the stars could give me an answer of where he is. It also made me remember when we stargazed together. It only hurt me.

With tears flooding my eyes, I make my way to central park with my head and tail hanging down. I wanted to see Beau… It hurt for me to be away from him. Sitting down by the lake, I wrap my fluffy tail around me and closed my eyes from the depression I was feeling.

But she didn't realize that Beau was only about 10 feet from her. He too was feeling the same depression as her because of the banishment he had just faced. He wanted to be with the love of his life. At first, he didn't believe that it was her sitting there by the lake. But he took a second look and felt his heart flutter. It was her. It was Whisper. He started to walk over to the siberian husky.

Whisper's pointed ears perk up at the sound of oncoming footsteps. When she turned around to see who was making them, a look of pure happiness had replaced the depression she felt before. They were really there. Ready to come together as one.

Whisper then starts running towards Beau and he does the same. The two dogs come together finally and nuzzle each other affectionately. They were together again. It was as if nothing could break them apart.

Whisper tucked her head under Beau's furry chin with her pointed ears lowered. His white fur caressing with hers never felt so good. Their paws touched and that same spark they felt the other night was still there. Their hearts couldn't stop racing. Their tails couldn't stop wagging. "Beau… I love you." Whisper says softly to him. "I love you too… Whisper." Beau repeated, getting the siberian husky's heart to flutter. It was true. He did love her. After that, the heat between them became too much to handle and the two ended up becoming mates.

Then, a bunch of fireflies made their way by them, intriguing the two lovers. Whisper was the first to see them and immediately started to chase them with Beau right behind her. Both dogs raced through a lit central park and tried to catch the fireflies right out of the air while laughing.

After a while, Whisper winds up on top of Beau and they continue to laugh happily. They then stood up and shook his fur. "What do we do now?" Whisper asks, giving him a warm smile. "Let's run away together. We can start a gang of our very own. What do you say?" Beau suggested, doing a play bow. At this, Whisper was reluctant because she low-key regretted what she had said to Rose and Dodger. The very dogs who had raised her since she was a young puppy. She looked away for a moment, getting Beau's direct attention.

"What's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted? We're together now." the American White Shepherd said. "Yeah, yeah it is but…" she replied, struggling to find her words. "But what?" Beau asked, sitting next to her. "It's my parents. My family. I can't just leave them behind." she replied. "You sure you want to go back? After all, they don't want me around." Beau asked her. "I have to. Beau, I said something I shouldn't have to my mother. I left her brokenhearted… I have to make it up to her." Whisper tells him.

"You win. Alright, let's get you home." Beau reluctantly agreed to escort her back home. Whisper licked her new mate's face as a thank you. The two dogs then walk side by side out of Central Park, leaving the fireflies to dance under the moonlight.


	13. Chapter 13 Reunited Family

(Rose)

The snow started to fall from the darkening sky, covering the city with a fresh blanket. That same remark that Whisper had made towards Dodger and I still stung. Where did I go wrong? I wasn't even looking up at the sky; I was looking at my forepaws that were starting to become frosted with fresh snowflakes.

"Rose? Are you okay?" Rita said from behind me. I looked behind me and saw Rita standing a couple of feet from behind me. "I don't know, Rita." I answer, looking back at my paws. Rita takes a seat on my right side. "It's about Whisper, isn't it?" she asked me. "Yeah… it is. Did Dodger and I fail as parents? Was keeping her away from Beau the right thing to do? She had never been that angry with either of us… She knew that… were not her birth parents." I say, trying my hardest to keep the tears in. But my efforts were unsuccessful. Rita's fur caressed mine and she put her head on mine.

"It's alright, Rose. I'm sure she didn't mean what she said. She was only angry. You know how she is. She does tend to say things that aren't true. You and Dodger have raised her to be an enthusiastic yet smart young street dog. She's a smart girl who'd never turn her back on you, Dodger, or any of us. She loves you guys." Rita tells me, making my heart feel lifted. I take my head out from underneath hers and raise my ears. "Thanks Rita. I needed that." I say, wagging my tail, "You truly are my best friend."

"You know it, girl. And I won't ever let you forget it either." Rita chuckled, giving me a nudge. I laughed along with her. "Tell you what. Since you were successful in bringing up my spirits, why don't we all go to the Brooklyn Bridge to hang out? I figure we could use a nice time away from the house boat." I say, wagging my tail. Rita smiled at this and agreed.

The six of us head out of the houseboat while the sky was still light. Dodger had asked me what the occasion was while we headed out there. I told him it was because Rita had talked some sense into me. He was happy that I was feeling much better. Dodger had been feeling the same way as me because he loves Whisper as much as I do.

Before going to the Brooklyn Bridge, we stopped by Jenny's place to see if Ryan and Oliver would join us. Georgette on the other hand wouldn't want to be with us or around Tito since their first breakup. Kind of sad from where Tito is concerned cause that chihuahua fell head over heels for her when we first met her. He kept prodding on that we should bring her along but we had to keep telling him she didn't.

By the time we reached there, there weren't that many cars on this bridge surprisingly because it's usually crowded. Dodger and I sat on the bridge walls and looked upon the horizon. There was snow falling from the sky and it was much faster this time. Winter was definitely approaching.

While we were sightseeing, Ryan and Rita were spending time together while on the bridge. Tito, Francis, and Einstein were playing with Oliver. "Dodger?" I say. He looks over at me with his floppy ears raised. "Do you think Whisper will be okay? I know Rita said she'd eventually come back and I know that but…" I begin, only to get a nuzzle from him. "I'm worried too, Rose. But, as Rita told us, she will be back in due time. And if she isn't by tomorrow, we will go and find her." Dodger told me, giving me a lick on the head. I smiled at him warmly.

Oliver then comes to join us on the bridge after his playtime with Tito, Einstein, and Francis. "What's up kid?" Dodger greeted. "Thought I'd hang out with you guys. Where is Whisper? I thought she'd be with you guys?" Oliver asked. "She'll be back soon. She just ran off to blow off some steam." Dodger partly fibbed. "Oh… okay. Is there a reason she was mad?" the cat said. My ears lower for a moment. "Yeah there is. But I believe it's best that we keep it to ourselves for now." I say, not wanting to spill the beans on why she ran off to begin with.

"Oh okay." the cat said. We all remain in silence for the next few moments to just think. Then, a low growling sound made itself present, getting all of us to become alert. Dodger, Oliver, and I quickly turn around to see none other than Ednis with The Liberated Wolves behind her, all of their teeth bared. Dodger and I growl too and jump down from the wall of the bridge.

Dodger and I took charge with the gang beside us. I stood in a fighting position with my ears, tail, and hackles raised. "What do you want Ednis?" Dodger growled, his hackles raised as well. "To settle a final score. You have changed Beau into a weak, worthless, piece of trash. He won't do in being the top dog of this stupid city. I… should be the only one to rule this city and bring it up from its roots." Ednis chuckled sinisterly. That gets me to snarl loudly.

"You're pathetic Ednis. This city belongs to any dog! Especially the ones who grew up here!" I snarl. "Yeah, so why don't you go back where you came from?!" Dodger barked. Ednis laughed maniacally at our words. "I won't leave. Not until I finish all of you off. Including the three legged spotted one and your cat friend there!" she laughed. I glance down to see the hackles on Oliver were raised to a full point.

"Attack!" Ednis declared. And with that, both of our gangs began to fight. I was fighting Raven and managed to leave some strong bites on her body only for her to bite me back on my neck. The dogo argentino held me down with her strong paws. "Where's your pride now, Rose?" she chuckled. "Get off of her!" Oliver screeched, jumping on Raven's face and he sunk his cat claws into her skin, making her whine. I quickly get up to take on another member. I see Dodger getting attacked by the black jack russell and I quickly come to his aid. Rita and Ryan were fighting off Rebel, Einstein and Francis was fighting Odin, and Tito was taking on Marcus after I shoved him off Dodger.

I quickly sink my teeth into the dogs neck and throw him off Dodger. "Thanks Rose." he said, getting to his paws quickly. "Don't thank me yet. This fight isn't over." I point out, seeing Ednis charging at us again with her jaws wide open. I tried to attack but she managed to use her strength to push me over. I whimpered at the blunt force.

"Rose!" Rita cried, seeing this. I took notice that the fight was quickly seized by this sudden attack. I quickly stand back up despite the pain. "You two are mine." Ednis growled, slowly walking towards us with her teeth bared. Dodger and I were ready to fight and finish this once and for all.

But before we could settle it, the forms of Whisper and Beau suddenly jumped into the fight with their teeth bared. We were surprised to see them and backed up a little bit. The two stand in between Ednis, Dodger and I. Whisper stared at us and her eyebrows narrowed a bit. "Whisper?" Dodger and I say. "Beau!" Ednis snarls, "Out of the way." "Whisper, stand down." I said to her, but she didn't listen.

"Mom, Dad. Stop this." she said in a stern but direct voice. Those two words made my heart silently leap. "You're weaker than I previously thought. Move aside at once!" Ednis growled, wanting to get her paws on us. "No. You're not going to hurt Dodger, Rose, and Whisper. If you do, you'll have to answer to me." Beau snarled, lowering his head. Ednis was appalled by this gesture.

"This is none of your concern, Whisper." Dodger said. "Look, I am sorry for what I said back there. I didn't mean any of it. You two are my parents. And you always will be. There's no need to fight over this nonsense of dominance." Whisper tells us, her voice is softer. She took a step towards Dodger and I with her pointed ears lowered. "But they…" I start. "They're just like us, mother. They're no different from you or I. This city shouldn't be fought against." Whisper declared, looking at The Liberated Wolves.

Dodger and I look over at them. They had a look on their face that showed they were convinced of what Whisper was saying. It didn't take any of us to realize that she was correct. Dodger and I smiled at her warmly. The siberian husky then came over to us and gave us a familial nuzzle. "I love you guys." she said softly. "We love you too… sweetheart." I say, licking my daughter on her head. Dodger nuzzled her too and gave her a few licks to her face.

This made my heart soar. She had forgiven us wholly and I couldn't be more happy. "Odin! Now!" Ednis snarled. "No. Ednis." Odin said, his voice was more firm. Odin looks over at Whisper for a moment. "Whisper is right." the boerboel mastiff said as he looked at Ednis. He then trots over to our side and faces the cane corso. "This is the end. Enough." he tells her, much to the shock of her peers.

"Fine. Go. You will die along with those mutts anyway." Ednis said. Then, the other members of Ednis's gang make their way over to us. "What?! No! You all can't leave! Stay and fight with me!" she begged. But her crew full on left her at that moment in time. What Whisper said got to them and they did change. "It's time to let this go, Ednis. Let's put the past behind us." I say. Ednis shakes her head in anger. "NO! I won't stop! I won't stop until you are all dead!" Ednis growls loudly. Suddenly, she makes a clear leap towards us.

Whisper then takes a leap at her mid-flight, causing them to fall off the bridge. We all panicked at this. "WHISPER!" I shout, quickly taking the lead. We all rush down the bridge and beside the bay in trying to catch up with her. I ran at top speed to see where she was at. She was trying to swim towards the shore but the current was so strong, she was almost pulled under.

Dodger and Beau run beside me. "Whisper! Reach the shore! We'll be able to pull you up!" Dodger shouted over the roaring water. Ednis then pops out of the water and drags her under in an attempt to drown her. "Ednis, stop!" I yelled but she couldn't hear me. Whisper kicks the cane corso off and swims desperately to shore.

(Whisper)

The water was doing everything in its power to keep me in however, the adrenaline I was feeling helped me keep going. I swam to the shore and pulled myself out with my teeth. The water dripped from my fur and I shook it off. "I'll get you, you little brat!" Ednis shouted from behind me, trying her best to stay afloat.

I quickly turned around to see her desperately hanging on to the embankment. "Ednis! Pull yourself out!" I say, extending my siberian husky paw out towards her. She only growled and snapped at me. "Don't you dare touch me!" she growled at me, still trying to hang on. "C'mon! I will help you!" I say, not giving up. "No! Never!" she growled. I backed up a little with my pointed ears lowered. She did try to pull herself out but she ended up losing her grip on the embankment. She was quickly pulled under by the raging water. She did pop back out again.

I knew then that she had drowned.

(Rose)

"Whisper!" I cry, going to my daughter. "Mom! Dad!" Whisper cried, seeing us coming. The three of us nuzzled and whined happily. I couldn't be more grateful that she was alive. "Thank goodness you're alive…" I say, licking her feverishly. "I'm fine, mother. Don't worry." she assured. "That was really brave of you, Whisper! Way to go!" Ryan and Tito cheered. "It was nothing." she said modestly.

Beau comes forward to Whisper. "Whisper." he said, putting his head over hers. "I didn't want her to hurt my family." she whispered to him. "It's okay. You had to do what you could to protect them." he replied softly to her. It made me smile to see them together. He truly did love her.

"Excuse me, Dodger and Rose?" Odin says. We look at the boerboel mastiff. "Would you forgive us? We are all sorry for all the trouble we have caused. It was Ednis's doing. She had brainwashed us to be her bodyguards. Deep down, none of us wanted to be apart of that. We would like to ask you for forgiveness." Odin said, lowering his head in respect.

Dodger and I smile at him warmly. "Of course, you have our forgiveness Odin." I say with a nod. "Thank you." Odin said. His tone showed that he had definitely changed for the better. "Whisper. Can you come over here for a moment?" I say, getting her attention fully. She does come over to us. "Look, you're all grown up now. It's evident that you and Beau deserve one another. You don't have to stay with us if you don't want to." I tell her, giving her the much deserved freedom.

"That seems like a good idea. Besides, we're in need of a new leader. Whisper, if you want to take the roll, we will gladly follow in your and Beau's pawsteps." Raven declared, giving Whisper a grin. Whisper was unsure at first and looked towards us. "It's your choice, my dear." I tell her. Whisper glanced at her belly for a second before going to Beau. "Of course. Besides, I have another reason for taking the position." Whisper tells all of us, "Everyone. I'm pregnant."


	14. Chapter 14 Dreadful News

(Rose)

The city was now covered in fresh snow and ice. It had been snowing like this for the last few months. I didn't mind it at all because I love snow. Ever since the fight had died down indefinitely, everything has gotten better. It's been a lot better. The only downside is Einstein's health. It hadn't gotten any better since his episode a while back. Whisper had been distant from us for the last couple of months since she had given birth to four beautiful puppies. She is now a mother which makes Dodger and I grandparents again.

Christmas was around the corner, which means we'd be going over to Jenny's house yet again as we do every year. Sammie, Charlie, and Pepper would come along. Whisper would bring her pups and Pepper would bring hers. Ryan and Rita's pups would come by as well. I couldn't wait to see them. I would count down the passing minutes.

Dodger and I took it upon ourselves to have some time alone in Central Park while it was in the middle of the night. The ground surrounding us was a fresh blanket of snow, leaving patches of grass sticking out. The only sound I could make out was not only our deep shallow breaths and crickets chirping in the various shrubs. Like before, we made sure to keep our distance away from the adolescent humans that would bide their time drinking and doing drugs in the deepest alleyways of this city.

Dodger reclined on my side with his world famous impish grins, obviously pleased with himself. "Ya know I hate that, don't ya?" I say with a grin of my own. "C'mon Rosie Posie, you know that's what they all say." Dodger replied, caressing my muzzle with his own. He eventually gets on top of me with both of his forepaws by my head. I wrapped my own paws around his shoulders to pull him closer to me.

Like I said before, I had seen him flirt with other female dogs in this city. But that was before we ever became mates for life. He had changed once we met Ryan. To begin with, I believed him to be nothing more than a brotherly figure but it's completely different now. I gave him a look that only he would understand. "What's with the face, baby?" he whispered to me. "I'm just showing you… that… there's no dog on this earth that I love as much as I love you." I say, licking him on his cheek. "Oh… I love you more… to the moon and back." he replied, kissing me on the lips. My tail wagged in a seductive manner and my whole body quickly heated up. Just like the night we became mates. We were in no hurry and the two of us did some love making underneath that tree.

After our rendezvous, we decided to head back to the houseboat as the wind was starting to pick up a little bit. While walking back, I started thinking about Einstein. I had noticed how he was becoming more confused with every passing day. It was starting to worry me. "Do you think… Einstein will be okay?" I asked in a worried voice. "What do you mean?" Dodger asked me. "You know that he's getting more confused and his body is weakening. With that, Dodger too looked worried. He had known Einstein for as long as I can remember. I have known the great dane for 10 solid years. I mean, Einstein was around 14 or 15 years old.

Before he could respond, Rita had rushed over to us in panic. It was a look I've never seen before on her face. "What is it Rita? You look distressed." Dodger pointed out. "It's Einstein… he's fallen ill. I mean very, very ill." Rita informed, confirming my worst fear. With that statement, we all ran back to the house boat.

When we got there, Francis and Tito were surrounding his bed where he held a broken tennis racket. "Einy! Einy, are you alright?" I ask, running towards him. He looked up at us with his old, weary eyes. "I'm not feeling so good… this weather is making me feel… so bad." he said in a fit of coughs. "Take it easy, old friend." Dodger assured. Einstein laid his head down on his forelegs for a moment. "I… don't want to be alone on Christmas this year. I haven't missed a single… celebration yet. I want to… go to Jenny's with you to see the kid… your puppies Rita and Rose with their own along with Whisper, Beau, and their pups." Einstein wheezed.

"But Einy, you're too ill to be moving. We can't risk you going out there." Rita declared, sounding on the verge of tears. "Nonsense… I'll be fine…" he denied it. He was showing every sign of being feverishly ill. Going out there in this weather would be hazardous to his health. "Let me come with you… if the time should come… I want you all to be with me." he said with determination. Everyone fell silent including me. He really wanted to come with us, even if it meant him dying while we're there.

"Okay… we can't say know to an old friend. Especially a friend who deserves to spend time with his loved ones." Dodger said to him. Christmas was tomorrow and we'd go to Jenny's house for the evening. If Einstein was to leave us during this Christmas, the least we can do is make it as special as we can.


	15. Chapter 15 Last Christmas

(Rose)

By the next evening, all six of us had made our way to Jenny's house. The whole time we walked there we had supported Einstein to make sure he had not fallen due to his illness. I didn't want to worry but I couldn't help it. I knew that everyone else was worried as well. Especially Fagin.

We make it to the house. It was covered in its usual lively Christmas decorations where the lights were flashing brightly among the semi dark streets. Apparently someone had already seen us coming because Jenny gladly opened the door for all of us. "Merry Christmas you guys! Come in! Come in!" she said happily. We all walked in the house and the scent in the air was its usual gingerbread smell.

"Mr. Fagin, what's the matter with Einstein?" Jenny asks, noticing Einstein's weakened behavior. "Oh, dear Jenny. He's not well. He's been sick for the last day and a half. Make sure you find him a spot here where he'll be more comfortable." Fagin asks kindly. She nods and makes him a place by the fire which was lit in the fireplace. Einstein went to go lay down and found it good enough for him to lay down.

"Wanna help me with the dog cookies, Jennifer?" Winston asked from the kitchen. "Yeah be there in a minute." she called, going to the kitchen. Dodger and I laid down close to Einy to watch over him. He gave a short but warm smile to show that he was comfortable. "I'm gonna go find Ryan." Rita said, going up the stairs to his room.

After a bit, we hear knocking on the door. Mr. Foxworthy had gone to answer the door and it was none other than Sammie, Pepper, Charlie, and Whisper. Whisper had come in with Beau and Pepper had come in with Dixie. Pepper was wearing a police academy collar around her neck. I had heard that Dixie had come into Pepper's adopted home and they became mates. He was a corgi australian shepherd mix. "Hi mom. Hi dad." All four pups come to Dodger and I. Dodger and I stand to our paws to greet our children.

"Hello my darlings…" I say, giving all four of them a mother nuzzle. "Beau, always a pleasure." I say to Beau. "It's a pleasure to be here, Rose." Beau nodded. I look over at Dixie who gives Dodger and me a nervous glance because he had never met us prior to this event. "There's no need to be scared of us." Dodger assures the mixed bred dog. "I'm sorry… it's just… I have never met you guys before. Pepper had never brought me to meet you. She only mentioned you guys." Dixie said nervously. "Hey, chill out man. They're not going to bite." Tito assured.

"He's just nervous. Don't worry, he'll get used to it. He was just like this when my master brought him into our home." Pepper chuckled, having her forelegs out in front of her. We all chuckled at this. Sounds like Dixie was afraid of new things which is totally understandable. Just then, we all hear the sound of puppies barking outside of the house.

"Oh no, dear could you get those rascals before they freeze their butts off our there." Whisper sighed. "Right away, hon." Beau agreed, giving Whisper a lick on the face. Beau trotted over to the door. "You four get in the house before you catch your deaths out there." Beau scolded. "Coming daddy!" a puppy's voice said. Just then, seven puppies come barging in the house. All of them trampling each other.

They were all Dodger and I's grandpups. "Hi, evwyone!" a black and white puppy said with excitement. "Oh my… these must be the pups." Rita said with excitement. Pepper stood to her paws and walked over to her puppies. "You guys best settle down unless you don't want those Christmas cookies." she scolds, getting her pups to settle down quickly.

"Ooh! Christmas cookies! Yay! I want 'em!" one of Whisper's pups said with joy. Whisper came to sit down next to me and Dodger and Pepper went to lay back down next to Dixie. "You four play nice now." she told the pups. "Okay, mama!" a red male pup said, starting to play with his siblings. I couldn't help but smile at them.

"They're so beautiful you two." I say to my daughters. "Yeah they are. Not to mention they're hard to keep track of. These little rascals hardly let us sleep. They often use Raven as a chew toy which she doesn't mind of course." Whisper tells me. "I can say the same with us, Whisper. They are quite the handful. Dixie and I can't keep them in line." Pepper tells us. "You two were just like them at that age. Always roughhousing with Ryan and Rita's puppies. You four always kept us awake." I tell them, much to their embarrassment.

Whisper and Pepper had told me their children's names. Pepper's puppies are named DJ, Storm, and Leia. DJ was named after Dodger Which I thought was a nice gesture. Leia had one pointed ear and one flop ear. She had black patches over her eyes, ears, and back. She had blonde forepaws and grey hind legs and muzzle.

DJ had the same markings as Pepper. He had grey on her back that went down all four of her legs and tail. And he had dark brown forelegs. Storm was the darkest pup out of the litter. He was almost fully black but his chest was white. His legs, muzzle, eyebrows were all brown.

As for Whisper's puppies, the eldest was Shade. He was black and white so the name fit him perfectly. The next was Jett. He was snow white like Beau but he had a large red spot on his left eye and his right ear. The next was the only girl and her name was Rosie. Whisper had decided to name one of her puppies after me so Rosie was perfect. She looked just like her mother with the same markings and all. And lastly was Channing, the youngest of the litter. He was exactly like his sister and his mother because of his markings. They were easy to tell apart because of their eyes.

I laid down and let the puppies gather around us. They all settled down finally. "Mother? What's wrong with Uncle Einstein?" Charlie asked. "Yeah, he seems rather… sick." Sammie said. "That's because he is, dear. He's really sick but we want him to make the most of this Christmas. You puppies best keep it quiet for tonight. We don't want to upset Uncle Einstein, now do we?" Dodger said quietly.

"No we don't grandpa Dodger." Channing said softly. "Yeah, we want him to feel better. What can we do to help him?" DJ wondered in a worried tone. He sat in between Pepper's forelegs. "You seven can help by using your indoor voices. We want him to feel as comfortable as possible." Beau reminded, having Shade on his head. "Okay, daddy. We will be quiet. We pwomise." Shade declared. Beau and Whisper smile warmly. "That's our boy." Whisper said, giving her puppy a lick.

"Mama, where's uncle Ryan and aunt Rita?" Rosie asked, looking up at Whisper. "They will be right down, dear. Don't worry." Whisper answered. It was quiet for the better part of about 10 minutes. It wasn't until there was another knock on the door. Mr. Foxworth went to open the door and Ryan and Rita's kids walked in along with Kaiden.

"Finally you six are here. We were afraid you wouldn't make it." Francis muttered. "How could we miss the most wonderful time of the year? It would be an atrocity if we did." Sean said, strutting by his siblings. "Psh, show off. We're just happy to be here." Macey said, taking a seat by the sofa. Kaiden came over to me and gave me a nuzzle in a familial way.

"Merry Christmas sis." he tells me. "Merry Christmas to you too, little brother. My word, I hadn't seen you since on my birthday. Why did you grow so much taller than me?" I chuckle, taking notice of how grown up my brother has become. "Oh you know, growth spurts happen." he replied, sitting next to me. "Where's father at? Surely he would've come along to?" I asked him. Kaiden lowers his head in sadness, "He… He died, Rose. He was hit by a car and killed…" Kaiden told me. "Oh… I see." I say, laying back down.

"Oh Rose… I'm so sorry to hear this." Francis said with sympathy. "No it's alright… I wanted to know. And he wouldn't want us to mourn for him. I'm sure he wanted the both of us to live a happy life. When did this happen?" I asked. "Six months ago. He was coming down to see you Rose but he was hit by a taxi. And his injuries were too severe to save him." Kaiden explained.

"I'm sorry if I'm spoiling everyone's good time." Kaiden apologized to everyone. "No it's alright, Kaiden. I needed to know. I know he's in a better place." I say, looking upwards at the ceiling.

About a couple of minutes later, Ryan and Rita had come down the stairs to join us. They were happy to see they're kids to say the least. "Who's ready for some Christmas cookies?" Jenny said, bringing in a huge plate with dog christmas cookies with her. All of the puppies immediately started to jump around her as they yipped and danced around her.

"Kids, what did we tell you about staying calm?" Whisper and Pepper scolded. "Oh right. Sowwy momma." Channing said apologetically. The puppies then waited graciously for their cookie. We all got to have at least a couple of cookies. Oliver had taken the opportunity to have one as well.

"Are you seven ready for Santa to come tonight?" I tell the puppies. "Yes we are grandma Rose! We can't wait." DJ said with enthusiasm. "Right. But you seven must be good pups if you want him to leave you presents. Do we make ourselves clear?" Whisper urged. All of the puppies gave innocent nods.

We all spent the next couple of hours just talking away about what happened within the last year. Whisper had told us of how The Liberated Wolves see her and Beau as the true leaders of their group. Pepper told us that she had managed to put at least 20 bad guys in jail. Hearing those things makes all of us proud of her.

Before long, we hear the sound of loud, hacking, coughing come from Einstein. We all gaze at the great dane, who was on his side and shaking heavily. My heart sank… "Oh my word, get him upstairs into the guest bedroom. Right now." Mr. Foxworth demanded. It took three of the humans here to get Einy upstairs.

"Grandma Rose, what's the matter with him?" Little Rosie asked me, coming to the stairs. My ears lay back and I looked down at the puppy. "They're taking him to bed, darling. They'll take care of him. They're gonna make sure he's feeling better." I tell her softly as to not scare her. Whisper and them walk up to me with a look of worry on their faces. "Mother, should we stay?" Charlie asked, his ears lowered. I thought about that for a moment.

"No, son. I think it's best that all of you guys went home. We will inform you if something changes." I tell them. They nod and leave the house with our goodbyes. We even said goodbye to the pups as they went with their parents. Rita and Ryan told their children goodbye also.

After a while, Jenny came back downstairs along with Oliver. All of us perked our heads up when they were caught in our eyesight. "I'm sorry you guys… but I'm afraid he's not gonna make it. You guys can go see him if you want." Jenny said sadly. I swear I felt my heart breaking when she said that. There's no way that Einy is dying. There's no way…

"C'mon you guys. Let's give our old friend a proper send off…" Dodger says melancholy. The five of us trot upstairs and into the guest bedroom. Einy was laying on the bed with his forelegs outstretched in front of him and his head laying in between them. "Einy?" Dodger called quietly. Hearing his name, he opened his elder eyes and looked at us with a weak grin. "Hey you guys…" he weakly said with a raspy voice.

"Hey there bud. How are you feeling?" I ask, tilting my head a bit. "My whole body is aching… Every Time I try to move…" he gasps, whimpering at his chronic pain. "It's alright, old friend. You don't have to move… not anymore." Francis told him sadly. Tears started to well up in my ears and I felt myself choke a bit. "Are ya gonna make it, amigo?" Tito wondered, jumping on the bed. "I'm afraid not, little friend. I can feel myself giving into the light." Einstein grunted, trying his best to focus on us.

We all remain quiet for a moment. This couldn't be happening… not tonight. Just then, the door opens, getting us to look at the door. It was Fagin. He was crying as well. He sits down on the bed with the Great Dane and set his head on his lap, petting him gently. "You did good for us, Einstein… You've been a loyal companion for not only us but for the gang as well… You have always been a good boy…" Fagin cried, trying his hardest to hold back his tears.

Einy gently licked his hand and whined. He continued to pet him, not wanting to leave. "Rose?" Einy said. "Yeah?" I say softly, giving him a few comforting licks. "I remember when you were only a puppy. You were so rambunctious… Very playful… I saw how happy you were when you came into the gang… Now you're all grown up… with children of your own and a grandparent… It really amazes me…" he tells me, making my heart ache.

"I know… I couldn't tell you how happy I was… And you practically towered over me…" I chuckle lightly, thinking of the good memories we all had with Einstein. It was amazing… He tells us of how he met Dodger and them when he was younger. They had found each other when he was not even a year old when Dodger was still a puppy.

He then started to wheeze and cough hectically. "Einy?!" Rita said in panic. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "My time has come… the time for me to join my forefathers… I… *gasp* I love you all… You seven have truly… gave me… a wonderful life." he said his final words.

He then slowly sinks into the bed on Fagin's lap. He simply closed his eyes and his old body seemed to relax. It only took us a few seconds to realize that Einstein was dead… we all watched as he peacefully passed on. At least he was able to go with his family in his presence. We all begin to silently cry at his passing.

"Goodbye old friend…" Dodger tearfully said. Goodbye Einstein… may you live happily wherever dogs are meant to go when they die. Hopefully Dad will watch over him…

**Rest in Peace Einstein... 1979-1994. And rest in Peace Jerald 1980-1994.**


	16. Chapter 16 Living Life to the Fullest

New Years was around the corner. It would be our first one without Einstein since he passed away from his illness no more than a week ago. None of us had dared to leave his body until the next morning. Fagin decided to have Einstein cremated so we'd still have a part of him with us always.

I had spent all morning just silently crying because of how much I missed that big ol' hunk of love who'd always have a tennis racket in his mouth. Even though it was broken, he still loved that thing. Even asking about putting in a tennis court in the small houseboat still amuses all of us.

During the week, we had told everyone that Einstein had died soon after they left. Needless to say, they were all depressed by his passing. They loved him as much as we did. Nothing could replace that big Great Dane. Absolutely nothing.

After a while, we all went to Central park while it was still snowing. It had genuinely gotten heavier with the passing days. We all had made a plan to go to the big christmas tree later tonight to celebrate the day of 1994.

"Are you okay, old girl?" Dodger said, coming to sit beside me. "Yeah, just thinking' is all." I tell him, shaking my black and brown fur from the snow that fell on me. "About Einy?" he asked. "Yeah… I can't believe he's gone Dodger. A whole week and I still believe he's sleeping the day away in the houseboat." I say, looking at my aging mate. He nuzzled me affectionately.

"It's alright, Rose. I'm the same way. And I miss him so much as well. And we always will. But… we shouldn't be moping around wishing he'd come back. You know that right?" Dodger said, his voice still shaky. "Yeah, I know. Einy would want us to live on. Heck, my dad would want me and Kaiden to move on." I say, looking up at the falling snow.

"So… don't look so down, old girl. We still have some time before we're going to the Christmas Tree." he said, standing up and getting to a play bow. I stand up as well and playbow as well. He always knew how to cheer me up.

The two of us started to play in the snow. I barked happily at him and gave him a few playful nips. He nipped me back and growled. The playing soon turned into dancing. My heart skipped a few beats when we both stood on our hind legs and held each other up by our forelegs. Our muzzles touched.

"I love you, Rose." Dodger said in a whisper. I giggled at that and gave my mate a deep, joyful kiss. "I love you more Dodgie…" I chuckle. We played together in that snow for a few more minutes. Then, the others came to join us in the playtime. We all started to play together as a family in Einstein's honor. Man, it felt good.

Later that night, it was time to go to the Christmas Tree. Every light was shining bright on the snowy streets, which always made me feel so festive and happy. The Christmas Tree was located in Rockefeller Center. And it was the most beautiful thing ever that I've seen. Everyone was already here, ready to celebrate. The puppies were jumping for joy and were yapping with happiness.

Before we knew it, the big ball had dropped and it was finally the New Year. "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" we all shouted with happiness. Dodger and I made our way to the top of a rock that was slanted upwards towards the tree. "Happy New Year you guys! We will celebrate this New Year in honor of our friend Einstein. Who tragically passed away on Christmas this year. But he wouldn't want us to mourn for him. He'd want us to be happy to celebrate not only his life but ours along with it." Dodger announced to the gang.

"Exactly. So let's all do our old friend a favor and give a howl in his memory. To show we're not giving up on him or on ourselves. Einstein was a great friend, family member, and gang member who was one of the funnest dogs to ever walk these streets. When I was a mere puppy, I loved him from the beginning. He was fun, lovable, and a caring friend who would never let you down. May his memory forever be remembered by all the street dogs of this city!" I preach, looking from the gangs and the sky.

Just then, all of us howled up to the sky. Our echoed canine voices echoed through the city, bouncing off the walls that lined up with the streets. We were caught up in this wonderful feeling- the best we'd all felt longer than any of us would care to think. Our pasts couldn't be held onto- at least not the parts that didn't matter. We all had shown this city who's boss; shown our friend that we did love him with all of our hearts and we always will.

All of us were a team, a family. We never gave up on each other. Even with Einstein gone, we will still be New York City's coolest quadruped. Nothing can change us. And nothing ever… ever will.


End file.
